Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l' élégance féminine, Mai 1931, No. 129, 11e Année, p. 14 1931

Curator: This illustration is titled "Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l'élégance féminine," and it comes from the May 1931 issue of a fashion magazine. Editor: Three statuesque women, each draped in sinuous frocks – I find it instantly transports me back to jazz age soirees filled with shimmering fabrics. Curator: Indeed, it's a quintessential Art Deco image. Note the graphic use of line, and the emphasis on idealized feminine silhouettes. Fashion magazines such as these were very important during the period as arbiters of style and promoters of a distinctly modern ideal. Editor: The pastel colors are delightful. I can see them now gliding across a sun-drenched terrace – all silks, beads, and secret whispers! Curator: The artist uses a kind of stylized naturalism. Though the figures are flattened, we get a good sense of the clothing's texture and movement. You can see it in the details around hemlines. They are promoting very specific silhouettes. Note how close fitting each of the dresses appears to be on the bodies. Editor: But even within these tight boundaries they are expressing themselves. Just looking at the center figure’s dress is captivating – look at that striking angular pattern. And there seems a sly wit in their poised detachment. It suggests a world obsessed with surface glamour. Curator: Yes, although the dresses might seem similar, when reading the associated descriptions within the fashion magazine they differ in fabrication details which are of extreme importance to a potential buyer during this period. Note the mentions of various seam types that "serve as easy and unpretentious decorations" Editor: I love the tension here: easy and unpretentious style which results from close adherence to trends dictated to readers through magazines such as this. There’s a slight sardonic bite here; this world they’ve depicted looks gorgeous yet rigid. Curator: Well, to me, this image presents itself as an important primary document of sartorial tastes of the period which tells of very specific, intentional cultural priorities. Editor: While, for me, it’s a wistful glimpse into a world of shimmering illusions and jazz music… the type of illustration that evokes pure feelings that defy reason. Curator: That's what makes this image so fascinating - it manages to function on different registers, serving very distinct and occasionally divergent priorities.