Psyche. The Lady with the Lamp. George Barbier 1920s fashion

by Gazette du Bon Ton

Goddess of the soul. Love God, Eros's wife.
Robe du soir, de Worth. Evening gown designed by Charles Worth c1921.

Original 1920s fashion pochoir by George Barbier (1882-1932) for La Gazette du Bon Ton (Journal of Good Style). Between 1912 and 1925 (with a break during World War I), the finest fashion illustrators introduced the latest fashion designs by French couturiers. Barbier was one of the four regular contributors for this exclusive periodical, and the most influential in the style of illustration. Each of his pochoirs portrays a charming fashion narrative to convey the fashion style in an eleant setting.

The portrayal of fashion by the pochoir method was perfected by skilful artists in France, and this French word for stencil has been used worldwide since that time. Pochoir was a labour-intensive process, with up to 20 separate stencils cut for each application of watercolour by specific tools and brushes to maintain consistency of illustrations.

Plate size is 24 x 19cm or 9.5 x 7.5 inches.