The Seasons, Autumn 

Erte produced 'The Seasons, Autumn' as part of a series of images reflecting his vision of women in the modern world. The artist combines the female form with symbols of nature, hinting at a larger social connection. The image creates meaning through visual codes; notice how Erte uses the motif of tiger stripes and the color schemes to draw attention to nature. It was made during the Art Deco movement that flourished in France and internationally during the interwar period. The Art Deco movement celebrated the rise of consumer culture that allowed artists like Erte to explore mass media through a high art lens. As historians, we can use sources such as magazines, journals, and other printed ephemera to understand the growth of the fashion industry at this time. We begin to see how the meaning of art is contingent on social context.