Artwork
Robe à motif marron plissée sur le devant
Robe à motif marron plissée sur le devant 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, this illustration by the French fashion house Carven depicts a women’s garment now part of the Museum of Ethnography’s collection. The image presents a brown, sleeveless dress with a pleated front, rendered in a clean, linear style that emphasizes form over texture.
Subject & Meaning
The figure wears a high‑necked, knee‑length dress adorned with a pattern of small, rounded motifs in brown and orange, suggesting a subtle decorative scheme. The short, curved hairstyle and high heels complete a look of refined, mid‑century femininity, reflecting contemporary ideas of elegance and poise.
Technique & Style
Executed with minimal shading, the drawing relies on precise lines to convey the garment’s structure and the pleats on the front panel. The restrained palette and simplified rendering highlight the silhouette and pattern rather than surface detail, a hallmark of mid‑20th‑century fashion illustration.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Carven, a leading Parisian label of the post‑war era, the work dates to the late 1950s, a period when the house was known for sleek, modern designs. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings as part of its broader collection of fashion artifacts, documenting the intersection of clothing and 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
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