Costume Design 

Curator: This artwork is entitled "Costume Design," and is attributed to Erte. It showcases his elegant and stylized approach to figurative drawing, employing mixed media including pen to achieve its effect. Editor: It's strikingly poised. The verticality is immediately arresting. Note the repetition of linear forms—in the spear, the shield's stripes, the flowing dress. All create this powerful sense of upward movement, contained only by the elaborate helmet. Curator: Erte’s work was heavily influenced by the Art Deco movement. This is readily apparent here. Look at the clean lines and stylized, almost geometric forms. The piece really reflects the aesthetics of the early 20th century, when there was fascination with antiquity through modern sensibilities, becoming widely used across visual culture. Editor: The limited color palette—the blues, purples, golds—contributes significantly to the work's mood. The interplay between those cooler tones and the flashes of gold create an almost dreamlike atmosphere. Notice the intricacy of the snake motif on the shield and the careful rendering of the fabric folds. Curator: Costume design was actually a major area of Erte's practice. He produced many illustrations for magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. What is significant, though, is that these weren’t just functional designs. Erte's creations were performative, actively shaping how fashion and performance became intertwined and presented to a broad public audience. Editor: Yes, the visual is wonderfully stylized, which perhaps elevates this from simple design into something of pure image making. This careful application of detail really rewards close attention; observe how Erte handles light and shadow with such economy, using the line work to suggest form and depth, adding to the luxurious decorative mood, rather than attempting any photographic realism. Curator: Exactly. It speaks volumes about the aspirational character design in Erte's wider practice. What we might extract, still now, is how this work continues to circulate ideas and interpretations of dress and appearance. Editor: I’ll walk away today seeing how such graphic elements still play a massive part in design.