La Ville de Paris
Colour Lithograph
c.1910 (made)
c.1910 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is one of a series of eighteen lithographs created in Paris in about 1910 by a French artist who signs himself "Laviny". Their subject matter is of beautiful women dressed in fantastical and extraordinary costumes which represent various aspects of Paris. Whilst the outfits are ultra-fashionable in silhouette, they are very exaggerated and were probably not intended to be made up in real-life, but were made to amuse and for decorative purposes. The lithographs were printed by Fattorini et Crespin of Paris.
This embodiment of the city of Paris is probably the least provocative in the set. Although the clinging gown emphasises the female form of its wearer, it is long enough to conceal her ankles, and similarly, her neckline is not scandalously low-cut. While the other lithographs illustrate specific aspects or parts of the city, this design combines tricolour ribbons and flowers, the Paris coat-of-arms, and fleur-de-lis to represent the whole of Paris. A sailboat in full rig is perched upon the immense hat, probably representing Paris's role as head of ship navigation on the Seine.
This embodiment of the city of Paris is probably the least provocative in the set. Although the clinging gown emphasises the female form of its wearer, it is long enough to conceal her ankles, and similarly, her neckline is not scandalously low-cut. While the other lithographs illustrate specific aspects or parts of the city, this design combines tricolour ribbons and flowers, the Paris coat-of-arms, and fleur-de-lis to represent the whole of Paris. A sailboat in full rig is perched upon the immense hat, probably representing Paris's role as head of ship navigation on the Seine.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | La Ville de Paris (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | colour lithograph |
| Brief description | Laviny. "La Ville de Paris". Design for a fantasy costume representing an aspect of Paris. Published by Fattorini & Crespin, Paris. c. 1910 |
| Physical description | Colour lithograph showing an attractive woman dressed in an elaborate, exaggerated fancy-dress or theatrical costume representing a neighbourhood or institution of Paris. One of a set of 18. |
| Credit line | Given by the House of Worth |
| Object history | This print is part of a very large collection of reference material including fashion plates, engravings, original drawings and illustrations that were collected by the fashion design house of Paquin at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries. Many bear the stamp of Paquin's archivist at the time. They were acquired by the V&A in 1957 when, following the closure of the combined houses of Paquin and Worth, the Worth/Paquin archives and design books were donated to the Museum. |
| Summary | This is one of a series of eighteen lithographs created in Paris in about 1910 by a French artist who signs himself "Laviny". Their subject matter is of beautiful women dressed in fantastical and extraordinary costumes which represent various aspects of Paris. Whilst the outfits are ultra-fashionable in silhouette, they are very exaggerated and were probably not intended to be made up in real-life, but were made to amuse and for decorative purposes. The lithographs were printed by Fattorini et Crespin of Paris. This embodiment of the city of Paris is probably the least provocative in the set. Although the clinging gown emphasises the female form of its wearer, it is long enough to conceal her ankles, and similarly, her neckline is not scandalously low-cut. While the other lithographs illustrate specific aspects or parts of the city, this design combines tricolour ribbons and flowers, the Paris coat-of-arms, and fleur-de-lis to represent the whole of Paris. A sailboat in full rig is perched upon the immense hat, probably representing Paris's role as head of ship navigation on the Seine. |
| Bibliographic reference | Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1957-1958 London: HMSO, 1964 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.22264-1957 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
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