Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l' élégance féminine, Juin 1929, No. 106, 9e Année, p.19 1929

This print was made by J. Dory for the French fashion magazine, Art - Goût - Beauté in June 1929, look at how the artist uses line to define the figures with such minimal tonal variation! These fashion illustrations, almost a century old, are like a conversation with the past. I find myself wondering about J. Dory, imagining the artist, in his studio, sketching with a delicate hand, trying to capture the essence of ‘20s chic. The details are amazing – the way the folds of the fabric are suggested with just a few strokes, or the subtle shading that gives shape to the figures. Notice the dress on the right. Dory uses solid black and white to communicate tone and shadow. And it’s all about communication, isn't it? Dory is in conversation with designers of the time, with other artists, and with us, across time. We keep the conversation going through our own art, our own way of seeing.