Chez la Marchande de Pavots 1920

George Barbier made Chez la Marchande de Pavots with printmaking, and it feels like he was really considering the surface. It’s flat but not really. The colours are pretty limited, but they're doing a lot of work. I think Barbier is playing with some orientalist themes, but it isn't too serious. Look at the dragon, it's got this almost cartoonish quality, but then you see this waiter holding candles, and the ladies are all lounging about. It's opulent and a bit absurd, all at once. I'm drawn to how Barbier uses line; it’s everywhere, defining shapes and creating patterns, but it also flattens things out. I see a bit of Beardsley in that approach and maybe something of Matisse too. It’s like he’s saying, “Let’s acknowledge the picture plane, and then let's fill it with some delicious eye candy.” It’s a reminder that art can be playful, decorative, and still make you think.