Artwork
Cyprès
Cyprès is a drawing by Carven. It dates from 1959 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 1959 by the French fashion house Carven, the drawing titled “Cyprès” is part of the Museum of Ethnography’s collection. The work is an ink illustration that captures a solitary female figure seated on a dark bench, rendered with a restrained, linear approach.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a woman poised on the bench, her posture confident as she places both hands on her chest. Dressed in a light‑gray suit comprising a short jacket, a long skirt with a modest slit, and a wide‑brimmed hat, she embodies mid‑century modern femininity and the era’s evolving sartorial confidence.
Technique & Style
Carven employs clean, precise lines to define the figure, emphasizing shape over texture. The drawing relies on cross‑hatching to suggest volume and shading, while a small inset sketch of the jacket resembles a pattern draft, hinting at the garment’s design process.
History & Provenance
The work was produced circa 1959, a period when Carven was expanding its reputation beyond ready‑to‑wear into visual documentation of fashion. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains accessible for study of mid‑century fashion illustration.
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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