Artwork
Incendiaire
Incendiaire is a drawing by Carven. It dates from 1957 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.
About this work
Overview
Incendiaire, executed around 1957 by the French designer Carven, is an illustration held in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. Rendered as a single image, the work presents a fashion figure rendered in a clear, graphic manner.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a woman dressed in a vivid orange garment whose full skirt falls to the floor. She is accessorised with high heels, a clutch, a high‑necked bodice, a waist‑bow, earrings, and a neatly cut bob haircut, suggesting a mid‑century modern aesthetic and an emphasis on contemporary femininity.
Technique & Style
Carven employs bold, confident lines to outline the figure, while subtle shading adds a modest sense of volume. The striking orange of the dress is set against a muted background, allowing the colour to dominate the visual field without elaborate detail, reflecting a streamlined, graphic approach to fashion illustration.
History & Provenance
Created in the late 1950s, the drawing entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date. Its presence in the museum’s collection links the work to broader studies of cultural dress and visual representation of fashion within ethnographic contexts.
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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