Monday, March 28, 2011

Entries for March 28 - 1911 and 2011 (fashion illustration)

Rita's Entry: Tuesday, March 28, 1911
Practiced all A. M.  Met Fran at 1:30.  Looked in Field's for hat.  Found awfully classy one in ----sshh
Went to Neary's to return fashion books.  Dandy time as usual.  Urged to stay for dinner.  Refused.  Wrote to H.B.

IN RITA'S DAY:  The first years of the 1900s were the golden age for fashion illustration.  These were the final years before photography took over.  Rita probably looked at something like the McCall's Fashion Books (see above) which are pretty plan colorwise.  However, in Europe, especially in France, the fashion illustrators took their work into the world of art.  Paul Poiret is probably the most well known.

TODAY: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC had an exhibit on Paul Poiret in 2007.  I was so struck by the beauty and vibrancy of the colors that I decided I would buy one of Poiret's works.  Unfortunately, he was out of my price range, but I was able to purchase the pochoir above by Brissaud.  It appeared in 1914 in La Gazette du Bon Ton.   Even with the reflection of my dining room light, I am astounded at how clear the colors are.

Judy's Entry: Monday, March 28, 2011
Worked out in the morning.  Did a little shopping at the local mall.  I had forgotten that I will be there on Wednesday for a few hours while Mom has her perm, so I only looked today and will buy Wednesday.  In the afternoon, our group - the Yorktown Daytimers Chorale - performed at Seabury assisted living facility.  Listened to President Obama talk about the "situation" in Libya.  Hope things turn out there.

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