Le Cadran Solaire 1921

George Barbier’s "Le Cadran Solaire," from 1921, appears to be made with ink and pochoir, a kind of manual stenciling process, allowing for those delicate and precise colors. You can tell this is all about process. The texture is smooth, almost like a fashion plate. The colors, though muted, feel rich and decadent. Look at how the grey stripes in her skirt almost shimmer, a trick of the light created by the artist's deliberate application of color. The flatness is also interesting, particularly in the trees, and it's almost like a stage set, these figures so carefully placed. I’m reminded of Erté in a way, but Barbier has a melancholy, stillness about him. Like he's suggesting that even in the most beautiful settings, time, like fashion, waits for no one.