Artwork
Vertige
Vertige 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
Created around 1958, Vertige is an image attributed to the artist known as Carven and is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The work presents a brief, gestural drawing of a woman in motion, rendered with a limited palette and a spontaneous line quality that suggests an instantaneous capture of a fleeting moment.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a woman dressed in a plain black dress and trousers, one hand placed on her hip while the other clutches a modest bouquet. Her hair is loosely gathered, and the title—Vertige, French for “dizziness”—appears in the corner, implying a sense of vertiginous movement or emotional turbulence conveyed through the figure’s stance.
Technique & Style
Carven employs swift, economical strokes that give the drawing a lively, unpolished character. The limited color scheme—primarily black with accents of pink and a hint of brown—focuses attention on form rather than detail. The loose line work and minimal shading create an impressionistic snapshot rather than a finished illustration.
History & Provenance
The piece dates to the late 1950s, a period when Carven explored quick, observational sketches. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains catalogued as an image work. Its presence in the museum’s collection underscores the institution’s interest in mid‑century visual studies beyond traditional ethnographic artifacts.
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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