#woodruff

Porter Woodruff joined Vogue around 1916 or 1917, and was one of five American fashion illustrators which worked for Vogue during this time. He continued drawing for Vogue up until the 1930s, moving between New York, Paris, and Tunisia. In addition to Vogue, he also made covers for another Condé Nast magazine, House & Garden. Outside of designing magazine covers, he also made paintings of scenes he observed in Northern Africa, which are stylistic departures from the covers.

The May 1918 issue of Vogue was specifically wedding-themed, juxtaposing the cover depicting a wartime nurse. The purpose of the cover was to applaud the work of nurses during World War I, showing the “one veil of greater interest than the bride’s.”

The January 1928 issue of Vogue, largely regarded as Woodruff’s most famous work, was an example of the magazine’s movement towards Art Deco styled covers. It emphasizes a sensuality that was not seen in previous covers and would be continued into the 1930s.

The Gazette du Bon Ton was a short lived Parisian magazine, having only published 12 volumes. The publication was active from November 1912 to summer 1915, and then from January 1920 to December 1925. Pochoir technique, or a stenciling technique utilizing watercolour, was largely popularized by Gazette du Bon Ton.