Artwork
Byzance
Byzance is a drawing by Madeleine & Madeleine. It dates from 1924 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.
About this work
Overview
Rendered in ink with rapid, expressive lines, the sketch captures the silhouette of a woman in a shimmering garment.
Created in 1924 by the design duo Madeleine & Madeleine, this drawing depicts a formal evening gown titled Byzance. Rendered in ink with rapid, expressive lines, the sketch captures the silhouette of a woman in a shimmering garment. The work is held in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography and bears the artists' signature alongside a Paris address, situating it within the creative milieu of interwar France.
Subject & Meaning
The figure, poised with one hand on her hip, embodies a sense of poised elegance. The dress, named Byzance, evokes historical opulence through its reference to the Byzantine Empire, suggesting a fusion of ancient grandeur and modern fashion. The pose and attire together convey a theatricality common in 1920s design, where clothing became a vehicle for expressive identity beyond mere utility.
Technique & Style
The drawing employs loose, gestural ink lines to suggest movement and texture. Metallic shimmer is implied not through paint but through dense, irregular dotting and hatching, mimicking the reflective quality of sequins or metal thread. The sketch’s spontaneity contrasts with the formality of the garment, highlighting the artist’s focus on dynamic visual suggestion rather than precise detail.
History & Provenance
The work originated in the Parisian design studio of Madeleine & Madeleine, known for their avant-garde fashion illustrations. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s collection as part of a broader effort to document fashion as cultural artifact. The inclusion of a Paris address on the drawing confirms its origin in the city’s vibrant interwar design scene, where fashion and fine art increasingly intersected.
Context
In the 1920s, fashion illustration flourished as a bridge between haute couture and public imagination. Designers like Madeleine & Madeleine used sketches to communicate new silhouettes and materials, often drawing inspiration from historical and exotic sources. Byzance reflects this trend, channeling Byzantine aesthetics into modern evening wear through symbolic rather than literal reference.
Legacy
Though the designers remain lesser-known today, this drawing survives as a tangible record of early 20th-century fashion’s conceptual ambitions. It illustrates how clothing was conceived not only as wearable form but as cultural narrative. The work contributes to ongoing scholarship on the role of illustration in shaping perceptions of modernity and luxury during the interwar period.
Artist & collection
Artist
These artists left a small but striking set of 1924 drawings and designs that mix fashion and line.
Museum
Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris
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