Artwork
Trotinette
Trotinette 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
Trotinette, produced in 1924 by the artistic duo known as Madeleine & Madeleine, is a graphic work preserved in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The composition presents a solitary female figure rendered in a stylised manner, set against a muted beige backdrop. The piece exemplifies the visual language of its era, combining decorative elegance with a clear, graphic approach.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman dressed in a long, dark‑blue garment accented with white trim, a high collar, and a brooch positioned on the left side.
The central figure is a woman dressed in a long, dark‑blue garment accented with white trim, a high collar, and a brooch positioned on the left side. Her hair is gathered into an updo, and she stands with arms extended outward, suggesting a poised, perhaps performative stance. The attire and posture evoke themes of modern femininity and the fashionable leisure culture of the early twentieth century.
Technique & Style
Executed with bold, clean lines and a limited palette of contrasting hues, the image reflects the Art Deco aesthetic that flourished in the 1920s. Geometric simplification and a focus on streamlined form give the figure a stylised, almost graphic quality, while the use of bright colour accents against the dark dress heightens visual impact.
History & Provenance
Created by Madeleine & Madeleine in the interwar period, Trotinette entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, becoming part of the institution’s broader collection of early twentieth‑century visual culture. Its presence in an ethnographic context underscores the museum’s interest in design objects that illustrate cross‑cultural artistic trends.
Context
The work emerges from a time when Art Deco was shaping visual culture across Europe and beyond, influencing fashion, architecture, and graphic design. The depiction of a fashionable woman aligns with contemporary advertising and magazine illustrations that celebrated modern lifestyle, leisure, and the emerging consumer culture of the 1920s.
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
Continue through works from the same source collection.
![Sans le v[illisible], by Madeleine & Madeleine](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/madeleine-madeleine--sans-le-v-illisible--8212b979ada6b65a-w320.webp)
