L'Arbre de Science by Georges Barbier (1914) – Art Deco Print

This stunning print captures Georges Barbier’s expertise in Art Deco illustration with his 1914 piece, L’Arbre de Science (The Tree of Knowledge). The artwork portrays a refined lady adorned in an evening dress by Dœuillet, one of Paris’s most esteemed fashion maisons of the time. Barbier’s partnership with celebrated couturiers such as Dœuillet highlights the close relationship between haute couture and decorative arts throughout the Belle Époque period.

The design showcases Barbier’s hallmark style – a graceful fusion of botanical patterns, exotic avian figures, and feminine elegance set against a striking dark backdrop punctuated by vivid floral accents. His elegant use of colour and intricate ornamentation reveals the impact of Japanese art alongside the burgeoning Art Deco trend. Barbier played a pivotal role in shaping the visual vocabulary of opulence and sophistication in early 20th-century France, frequently contributing to prestigious magazines like Journal des Dames et des Modes and La Gazette du Bon Ton.

This illustration epitomises the zenith of decorative art in the years before the First World War, when Paris reigned supreme as the centre of fashion and artistic creativity.