Saint Louis' latest production offers a unique blend of art, automobiles, and high-end fashion.
Roaring Back to Life: The Intersection of Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in 1920s France
Step back in time to the vibrant and stylish era of the 1920s, as the Saint Louis Art Museum brings the brief but exuberant inter-war years to life with their current exhibition, 'Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918-1939'.
The exhibition showcases a diverse array of art, fashion, and design pieces, offering a glimpse into a period marked by exceptional creativity and innovation. Among the highlights are ten iconic cars from the era, including the Bugatti Type 41 Royale, the Talbot-Lago T150C-SS Teardrop Coupe, and a unique 1937 Type 135MS Special Roadster by Delahaye, featuring a leather interior by Hermès.
One of the cars on display in the exhibition's image is a specially painted Aries Torpedo, designed by the renowned artist Sonia Delaunay. Delaunay, along with her partner Jacques Heim, were fashion designers during the inter-war years, their innovative designs often reflecting the avant-garde spirit of the time.
The relationships between art, fashion, and the automobile industries during the inter-war years were mutually influential. This synergy is evident in the sculptural curves and streamlined forms of the cars on display, such as the Type 32 by Bugatti, which embodied avant-garde principles of art and engineering.
In fashion, the avant-garde movement paralleled this creative spirit by introducing new forms, colors, and freedoms into French clothing and style. Fashion magazines from the time showed how automotive design influenced fashion spreads, with designers and artists using the themes of color, form, and modernity reflected in automobile curves and aesthetics to inspire innovative clothing styles.
The setting of the image is the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, known as the cradle of the art deco movement. The Pavillon des Renseignements et du Tourisme in Paris, designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens, is featured prominently in the image.
'Roaring' also features various creative figures from the inter-war years, including Josephine Baker, the Delaunays, photographers Germaine Krull, Jacques-Henri Lartigue, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, couturier Jeanne Lanvin, Matisse, Man Ray, Charlotte Perriand, and the car-obsessed Le Corbusier.
The exhibition runs from April 12 to July 27, 2025, offering visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the dynamic culture of 1920s France, where artistic innovation shaped both automotive design and fashion, epitomizing the exuberance and experimental ethos of the inter-war years.
Key Points: - The exhibition 'Roaring' features ten iconic cars from the inter-war years, including the Bugatti Type 41 Royale and the Talbot-Lago T150C-SS Teardrop Coupe. - The Aries Torpedo car on display in the image was designed by Sonia Delaunay. - The exhibition highlights the mutual influence between art, fashion, and the automobile industries during the inter-war years. - The setting of the image is the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, known as the cradle of the art deco movement. - The Pavillon des Renseignements et du Tourisme in Paris, designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens, is a significant building in the art deco movement. - The exhibition 'Roaring' runs from April 12 to July 27, 2025, at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
In the vibrant setting of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, where art deco was born, the Saint Louis Art Museum exhibits a fusion of lifestyles, showcasing not only fashion-and-beauty from the period, but also displaying home-and-garden designs and a diverse collection of ten iconic cars – including the Bugatti Type 41 Royale and the Talbot-Lago T150C-SS Teardrop Coupe – symbolizing the passion for cars that permeated the culture. The Aries Torpedo car on display in the exhibition's image was designed by the renowned artist Sonia Delaunay, bridging the gaps between art, fashion, and the automobile industries throughout the inter-war years.
