Style Comparison & Contrast

    The two drawings that I choose to compare are by the artist Marcel Fromenti (1886-1969) whom was a fashion designer for ‘The Lady’ a magazine started in 1885. I was drawn to these particular pieces of artwork because they don’t automatically come to mind when the term artwork is mentioned. In my opinion they are absolutely gorgeous pieces of artwork.

      

    These drawings represent the artist’s idealized version of what feminine beauty was at the time with long, graceful, curving lines. Each of the drawings is the artist expression of what beauty is in his opinion, with small waists and curving hips. To an extent these drawings are stylized, the subject is clearly definable, yet the artist’s rendering of a woman’s form is clearly exaggerated. Drawn in a fanciful, theatrical, mysterious way, because of the way the subject appears to be carrying themselves, these drawings would also fall under the Romanticized category.
      

    Marcel Fromenti’s first drawing illustrates two women in evening attire. The primary hues are black and white. In the way that the skirts are drawn, they seem to imply a flowing movement. Emphasis is placed on the cinched waist and the elegant way, in which the women seem to be carrying themselves. The models in this drawing are graceful and mysterious; they leave the viewer wondering where they might be off to.

                © Victoria and Albert Museum, London



                 Artist: Fromenti, Marcel (artist)
         Owen Hyde Clark (Designer for Worth London, designer)
           Victor Stiebel, born 1907 - died 1976 (designer)
                      Worth London (designer)
                        Date: 1953-1954
          Materials Used: Pen and Ink, Wash and Chinese White

   In the second drawing is a group of three women modeling casual afternoon attire. These outfits were designed for the French actress Leslie Caron (1931). The lines are soft and curving in an organic way. The dress to the left of the drawing seems to have a velvet or perhaps a satin texture to it. Even though the bottom part of the model is larger than the top half and not necessarily proportionate, the artist still has achieved balance.

 

                               © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

                 Artist: Fromenti, Marcel (artist)
              Givenchy, Hubert de, born 1927 (designer)
          Castillo, Antonio, born 1908 - died 1984 (designer)
                       Lanvin (designed for)
                        Date: 1953-1954
          Materials Used: Pen and Ink, Wash and Chinese White.

Sources: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O585840/fashion-drawing-fromenti-marcel/
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O585896/saphir-fashion-drawing-fromenti-marcel/