220 'A PARISIAN FLOWER MARKET'
By Eugene Deully (B 1860)

Perhaps the most striking thing about this picture is its vibrancy. For the artist not only observes the fashion of the day, but the wonderful combinations of colour.

Deully will have been in his mid-sixties when he chose this bright subject of probably a September warm mid-morning. The height of the ladies hemlines tell us that this is the beginning of an important time following the ravages of the Great War. The period was popularly referred to as the 'Roaring Twenties' when the wild dances of the 'Charleston' and the 'Black Bottom' raged throughout the western world.

The new music called jazz was in its early stages when records of America's King Oliver would no doubt be played on every occasion and Paris's own Sidney Bechet would be beginning to make himself known. The cinemas featuring the myriad of silent movies would be packed out at every performance, At this time, Harold Lloyd would be seen dangling off the skyscrapers of New York, and Charlie Chaplin's exploits would be famous all over the World. Even in France, which had started to build an influence in moving pictures, these silent international stars would be celebrated for their entertainment.

Gone were the stiff traditions from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Gone were the inhibitions when women took a back seat in life. Here was the new beginning when social values meant unchaperoned meetings and unpretentiousness.

In this delightful cameo from the larger image, it seems to be cocktail hour judging by the glasses on the tables. The location is probably in one of the many parks in central Paris. These fashionable ladies parade in their new dresses which would have been considered outrageous only a few years before. The fine conservatory in the background provides us with the contrast of those now forgotten days. The flower market, out of sight in the detail, is situated on the left hand side with cascades of Chrysanthemums and baskets of Hydrangeas.