Aleksandra Ekster, costume designs for a 1917 production of Salome 

Aleksandra Ekster made these costume designs for a 1917 production of Salome, using gouache, watercolor, ink, and paper. These designs present angular and abstracted forms in the service of theatrical innovation, and they reflect a pivotal moment in Russian cultural history. At this time, artists were moving away from traditional representation towards abstraction, spurred on by revolutionary social and political change. The designs are self-consciously modern, with a clear debt to Cubism and Futurism. Salome, based on Oscar Wilde’s play, was intended to be a radical departure from conventional opera and theater. Ekster's costumes would have contributed to this break from tradition, signaling a new aesthetic for a new era. Historians can look to manifestos, theatre reviews, and costume design archives to better understand the context surrounding these costume designs. Analyzing this artwork provides insights into the social and institutional forces shaping artistic expression in early 20th-century Russia.