Artwork
Pirouette
Pirouette 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
“Pirouette,” executed in 1924, is an image by the artistic duo known as Madeleine & Madeleine. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. It presents a single figure rendered in a brisk, gestural hand, and bears the artists’ signature along with the title and a Parisian address on its lower margin.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a woman dressed in a green, knee‑length gown with a deep V‑neck and long sleeves. She holds a cane in one hand, a small purse draped over her arm, and wears tall, pointed shoes, suggesting a poised, perhaps theatrical, moment captured in the act of a pirouette.
Technique & Style
The drawing is characterized by a loose, rapid line quality that conveys movement and immediacy. The sketchy execution, combined with minimal shading, emphasizes the silhouette and costume details rather than fine modeling, aligning with the playful, stylish aesthetic associated with the Madeleine & Madeleine partnership.
History & Provenance
Created in the interwar period, the piece bears the artists’ signature and a Paris address, indicating its origin in the French capital. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on view as a representative example of the duo’s early twentieth‑century visual output.
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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