This drawing is by the artist Wighead for a 1930’s novel entitled ‘A Genoux Esclave’. You can see more from the book here and there’s an article on the potential identity of the artist here. I discovered the art and its background via this tweet.
These days the idea of a French maid in a sexy black and white outfit with stockings and a little cap exists almost entirely in fetish scenes and silly Halloween outfits. It has become purely a sexual trope. Yet black and white maid outfits in the 19th and early 20th century were a real thing. They were just far more practical. Here’s a picture of one I found from the same era. So what we’re looking at here is a fetishistic interpretation of what was a contemporary uniform of the time. I find it interesting to look at the artwork from that angle. It has a different feel when you consider it from the perspective of a 1930’s kinkster.
Goodness, those links led me down a wonderful rabbit hole (or three).
Glad I could point you at something interesting. They had the same effect on me.
Thanks for stopping by. It’s been a while! I still fondly remember your tumblr :-).
-paltego
Thanks, I do enjoy your blog, particularly the way it explores a wide range of subjects. I recently restarted posting again, over on https://ffollowingblindly.bdsmlr.com On refection it seems to have a (very) slightly different focus to my tumblr. Looking back over a number of years it’s interesting to see how interests and obsessions evolve over time.