Illustration to Voltaire, "La Princesse de Babilone" before 1942

Editor: This is Imre Reiner's "Illustration to Voltaire, 'La Princesse de Babilone,'" created sometime before 1942. It's an ink drawing, reproduced as a print, full of long lines and interesting hatching. There's a definite theatrical feel to these figures… masked, dressed in elaborate historical garb. What do you make of it? Curator: It pricks the fancy, doesn't it? There’s a lightness of touch, an almost whimsical quality to Reiner's linework that perfectly complements Voltaire's satirical wit. It feels like a stage design, a fleeting moment captured. It seems like the subjects are on display, and the display is their form of masquerade; have you thought of it that way? Editor: That makes total sense. It emphasizes the artifice of the scene. So, Reiner's illustration isn’t just depicting a scene from the book, but commenting on it too? Curator: Exactly! It encapsulates Voltaire’s playfulness but goes further, the sketchiness of the line adding to a sense of the ephemeral, a world of illusion. Each line whispers and hides. Does it whisper to you? Editor: Now that you mention it, yes! The thin lines make them seem so fragile and ethereal. It reminds me of those dreams that fade as soon as you try to remember them. I didn’t expect so much nuance from a quick sketch. Curator: That’s the magic, isn't it? It's the paradox of art – fleeting impressions conveying eternal truths, ephemeral marks leading to meaningful discovery. Editor: It gives me so much to think about, now. Thanks for illuminating this intriguing work!