Rendez-Vous 

Curator: Take a look at “Rendez-Vous,” an exquisite piece attributed to the artist Erté. The elegance of the Art Deco style really stands out, doesn't it? Editor: It certainly does! I'm immediately drawn to the high contrast of the figures against that almost dreamlike night sky. The silhouette of Cupid overseeing their meeting is a clever touch. There is almost something like watching characters in a theatre stage... Curator: Exactly. And consider how the fashions inform our reading. This depiction, reminiscent of the Rococo era with the man offering what appears to be a caged heart to the woman. The lighting, both natural with the night sky and artificial—emanating from his lantern and her smoking candle—plays such an essential role. This creates this space for intimate exchange but also a sense of artificiality... the woman with the white face, holding a fading candle. Are they in love or going through some kind of staging? Editor: It absolutely points to the constructed nature of courtship, doesn’t it? Love, presented not as an uncontrollable force, but almost a transaction, framed and viewed. Who truly benefits from these traditions, where expressions of affection feel performative, becomes a central point. And notice also the cupid in top of the fountain of the park: is that even natural or is that placed to serve this event. The use of color really strikes a chord as well... It's subtle but conveys layers of social codes and underlying tensions that may lead into inequalities. Curator: It's that tension, I think, between the overt romanticism of the scene and the undercurrent of societal constraint, that makes "Rendez-Vous" so intriguing, don't you agree? Its reflection of social norms around love is an idea still relevant in the era where digital love is expressed so easily! Editor: Absolutely. A powerful observation about the artifice of love. Considering this work within broader narrative helps us see past surface-level beauty into these deeply entrenched paradigms and to the need to free love from such constraints.