Artwork
Cormoran
Cormoran is a drawing by Carven. It dates from 1952 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1952 by the artist known as Carven, "Cormoran" is an image held in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The work presents a single figure rendered with swift, decisive lines, emphasizing the subject’s attire and posture while keeping surrounding elements minimal.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman dressed in a vivid yellow coat and a long dress, viewed in profile. Her hair is gathered back, and she holds her hands together in front of her, suggesting a moment of pause or contemplation. The sparse background, including a barely indicated chair and a tiny bird on a table, offers limited narrative clues, directing attention to the figure’s presence.
Technique & Style
Carven employs bold, rapid strokes that outline the figure with clarity, allowing the garment’s bright hue to dominate the visual field. The background is rendered with minimal detail, functioning more as a schematic note than a fully developed setting, a hallmark of the artist’s economical line work.
History & Provenance
Since its creation in the early 1950s, the piece has remained within institutional holdings, currently residing at the Museum of Ethnography. Its acquisition details are not publicly recorded, but the work has been part of the museum’s display of mid‑century graphic art.
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
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