Sheerazade 6 

This is Erte's 'Sheerazade 6'. Its theatricality, typical of the Art Deco period, presents a dancer in a costume that is all about line and ornamentation. The dancer’s static pose contrasts with the dynamic arrangement of her costume. The tassels sway and swirl creating a sense of movement, that is enhanced by Erte's meticulous attention to detail, seen in the minute beads and intricate patterns. This ornamentation doesn't just decorate the figure, it creates a semiotic system. The jewels, the exotic mask, and the flowing tassels all work together to create a signifier of 'oriental' luxury and mystery. But the painting's structure is all about surface, denying any illusion of depth. The flattening of space and the decorative excess challenge traditional representational values, engaging with early modernist ideas about artifice and the constructed nature of identity. Erte's aesthetic choices offer a study in how the visual language of luxury and exoticism can both create and question cultural meanings.