The cavalier perspective, or high viewpoint,
first appeared in France in the 16th century, thanks to the ingenuity of
military engineers.
Cartographers used this type of projection for three
centuries. Its value lay in its ability to reproduce three-dimensional objects
in two dimensions; and its particular characteristic is the lack of a vanishing
point, so that parallel lines are preserved. Hermes is doing a fabulous job transposing this design on cashmere and silk.
While not attempting to reproduce
visual reality, the projection retains form, volume and relief. Its name comes
from the military term ‘cavalier’, an earthwork promontory affording a view
over and beyond a set of fortifications, enabling guards to anticipate an
attack. An alternative, more seductive etymology alludes to the higher
perspective of the rider on his mount. A perfect definition for this cavalier
view, setting Hermès in perspective.
Interesting pattern? You bet !
Magic Knot? You bet !
Cotton fabrics in warm colours – named for Madras, the Indian city where they originated – blend here with tartans of every hue and shade, and a checkerboard of multicoloured squares.
The motif, with its play of straight lines and right angles, contains a thousand variations on a constant theme. In multiples of eight, ten, twenty, the lines become thinner and thicker, running parallel or criss-crossing in infinite combinations and colourways, adding further depth and complexity. Some have been chosen here to interlock and combine in circles, straight lines and curves. The composition engenders a motif dear to the house of Hermès: the famous Ex-Libris, squared.
