Artwork
Boris
Boris is a drawing by Carven. It dates from 1955 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1955, “Boris” is an image by the French fashion house Carven, presently in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The work presents a solitary female figure against a muted beige backdrop, emphasizing the garments she displays rather than any narrative setting.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman in a long, dark‑blue coat with a subtle plaid pattern, left open to reveal a coordinated dress beneath. She stands with arms extended, wearing white gloves, high heels, a bob haircut, and modest earrings, a pose that suggests a fashion illustration intended to showcase the clothing’s cut and colour.
Technique & Style
Carven employs bold, confident lines and a limited palette of bright blues against the neutral background, creating a striking visual contrast. The flat treatment of colour and the simplified rendering of form align the image with mid‑century commercial illustration, while the crisp delineation of the coat’s pattern adds a decorative touch.
History & Provenance
The piece dates to the mid‑1950s, a period when Carven was expanding its ready‑to‑wear line and producing promotional imagery. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it is displayed as part of the institution’s broader collection of fashion‑related visual culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
These delicate ink-on-paper drawings capture the quiet poetry of everyday things: pinecones, reeds, apples.
Museum
Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris
Continue through works from the same source collection.
