La belle dame sans merci ; Robe du soir, de Worth 1921

George Barbier made this pochoir print of a Worth evening gown sometime in the early 20th century, and the flat planes of color and strong outlines give it a real graphic punch. The mark-making here is so clean, so precise – it's all about control, not letting the hand get too wobbly. Look at the way the black dress just sits there, a big, dark shape in the middle of the composition, softened by the splash of violet at the waist and hem. And the background, a dreamy, almost surreal landscape of purple feathers and golden birds, flattened against a brick-red sky. There’s a tension between the flatness of the print and the depth it hints at with the overlapping forms. The way Barbier balances these elements reminds me a bit of Erté, who was working around the same time. Both artists were masters of Art Deco style, using bold lines and rich colors to create these really glamorous, idealized images. It's all about the surface, but with a knowing wink, suggesting there's more to it than meets the eye.