Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l' élégance féminine, Juin 1929, No. 106, 9e Année, p.10 1929

Editor: Here we have “Art - Goût - Beauté,” a print from 1929, created by an anonymous artist. It seems to be showcasing women’s fashion. I'm immediately drawn to the Art Deco style; it’s so elegant, yet it almost feels like these images are whispering a secret about the past. How do you interpret this work? Curator: These images are laden with visual cues about the period. Take the hemlines for example – rising, hinting at new freedoms and modernity. Each figure is a carefully constructed archetype. The women aren't just wearing clothes, they're wearing ideas about beauty and progress. Notice how the colour palette—the soft pastels—speaks to an optimistic outlook before the Depression took hold. Does that inform your initial impression? Editor: Definitely. Knowing the context deepens my appreciation. The outfits aren’t merely pretty; they're reflecting a shifting social landscape. Curator: Exactly. The patterns and silhouettes can be seen as visual metaphors for a generation’s aspirations, breaking from the constraints of previous eras. Even the inclusion of text below can be construed as playing a significant part within the symbolic interplay between representation and interpretation. These images operated almost as propaganda. Editor: That makes sense! It is not only an image, it's also communicating particular values about the era and aspirations for what might come next. Thanks for helping me think that through. Curator: My pleasure, it has helped me focus my attention to new directions in my own thinking.