Messalina, The Joys of the Capitol 

Here we see Erte’s, ‘Messalina, The Joys of the Capitol’, made through the commercial technique of pochoir. Pochoir is a highly refined method of making prints by using stencils. Each color you see on the page would have been individually applied using this technique. It involves careful layering and precise execution. The vividness of the print relies on the quality of the inks used. In its day, this technique had an interesting connection to the world of fashion. Pochoir was often used to reproduce the latest dress designs, allowing them to be widely circulated. The fashion industry relied on the skilled labor of artisans to create these detailed and visually stunning prints. Messalina, with its rich color and crisp lines, is a testament to the expertise needed for pochoir. So next time you look at a print, remember the human element, and think about the ways that production has shaped our visual culture.