Diva II 

Erte designed this gouache and ink fashion illustration, Diva II. The flat, stylized composition immediately draws us into its world of elegant artifice. The figure’s body is elongated and angular, adorned with an elaborate costume which contrasts to her smooth skin and hair. Her clothing, a delicate yellow and pearl fabric draped over one shoulder, emphasizes the geometry. The sleeve on her extended arm is adorned with repeating pearl embellishments. Notice the tail of peacock feathers, cascading in ornate loops and swirls, a play between natural and artificial form. Erte, who also worked as a set and costume designer for theatre and film, understood the signifying power of attire and how clothes could represent more than mere surface. Through meticulous detail and geometric construction, Erte constructs an image which destabilizes traditional notions of beauty and representation. Diva II acts as a theatrical statement about the power of fashion and art.