Artwork
Strogoff
Strogoff is a drawing by Carven. It dates from 1958 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.
About this work
Overview
“Strogoff” is a mid‑twentieth‑century drawing attributed to the French fashion house Carven, dated approximately 1958. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. It consists of a single sheet on which a female figure in a dark blue coat is rendered alongside a brief reverse‑view sketch of the garment.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is depicted wearing a long, dark blue coat with a high collar and prominent pockets, layered over a light pink blouse. Simple black shoes complete the ensemble. The accompanying rear‑view sketch emphasizes the coat’s silhouette and button arrangement, suggesting the drawing functions as a design study rather than a narrative portrait.
Technique & Style
Carven employs loose, gestural lines that convey immediacy, characteristic of quick fashion illustrations. The sketchy rendering prioritises the overall shape and construction of the coat over fine detail, while the handwritten label “Strogoff 86” in the margin adds a utilitarian, archival quality to the piece.
History & Provenance
Created around 1958, the drawing entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date. The presence of the handwritten notation implies it may have been part of Carven’s internal design archives before being transferred to the museum’s collection for study and public display.
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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