Artwork
Tempête
Tempête 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
Tempête, executed in 1952 by the French designer Carven, is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The work is an image that presents a solitary female figure rendered in a graphic, stylised manner.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman dressed in a striped ensemble of orange and black. She wears a long‑sleeved top, a slightly flared skirt, and a scarf‑like collar, with her hair gathered up. The simplified portrayal emphasizes the silhouette and the rhythm of the pattern rather than narrative detail.
Technique & Style
Carven employs bold, clean lines and a limited palette, reducing the figure to essential shapes. The lack of intricate shading suggests a rapid execution, aligning the piece with mid‑century fashion illustration that favours immediacy and visual impact over realism.
History & Provenance
Created in the early 1950s, Tempête entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date. Its presence in an ethnographic context reflects the institution’s interest in the cultural dimensions of fashion and visual representation during the post‑war period.
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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