Hoed naturelkleurig stro, platte bol en brede rand c. 1903 - 1910

Curator: It practically floats, doesn’t it? Like spun sugar hardened into a form. Editor: Indeed. Before us, we have a delightful hat crafted sometime between 1903 and 1910. Its full title is "Hoed naturelkleurig stro, platte bol en brede rand" a rather apt description if I do say so myself. The maker is noted as Rosa Goutureau. It's mainly straw and textile, both combined with considerable effect. Curator: Rosa was onto something. The pale straw echoes natural, muted light; the hat embodies fin-de-siècle languor, all suggestion and airy grace. Note how the broad brim, almost excessively wide, throws the face into intriguing shadow. Editor: Agreed. Observe the concentric weave of the straw—it acts as a unifying texture that guides the eye. I also appreciate the tulle; its placement is a deft touch that both softens and subtly distorts the underlying form, offering visual and material contrast. And those feathers! Curator: Ah yes, the exuberance! Those off-white plumes offer vertical drama, a visual counterpoint to the hat's inherent horizontality. Yet the color unity remains, preserving its restrained elegance. I detect hints of influence from Japonisme. Editor: Oh? Interesting! I am leaning towards something wilder, more personal, even decadent. What is a lady wearing such an adornment about to do? It screams, "take me out!" Though a painting perhaps it inspires rather than a social call. The tulle gives the ensemble a kind of softness, maybe even making the wearer dreamlike or ephemeral. Curator: Perhaps you’re right! It's the dialogue between form and whimsy that’s utterly compelling. Even as we apply structure, emotion spills through. Editor: The pure emotion of a memory perhaps! It strikes me as the end of a very old story, and the beginning of a new one. What better could art provide for our journey! Curator: Quite. A silent sentinel in our decorative art collection, radiating whispers of days gone by, yet also, hope for an enlightened and stylish future!