The Wave 

Curator: This print is entitled "The Wave," by Erté, a piece rendered in his signature Art Deco style. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Daring! It's got a sort of celestial and aquatic tension, like some goddess diving through a portal. I'm instantly drawn to the swirling patterns of the wave against that radiating sun-like backdrop. Curator: That radiating backdrop provides the figures, both the nude and wave, with a cosmic aura. Notice how the concentric circles of the design and the sun’s rays function almost as mandalas, connecting to imagery that emphasizes the divine feminine. Editor: Absolutely! And the sinuous lines – a pure Art Deco signature– evoke the era’s fascination with modernity, speed, and a certain liberated femininity. The ocean motif often represents the subconscious, a space for fluidity and the unknown, a portal through a threshold. Curator: Yes, consider the psychological significance: water as a symbol of purification, renewal, even the origin of life. Her dive can represent transformation. Do you find connections to specific mythologies? Editor: Maybe echoes of Aphrodite rising from the sea? It's got a glamorous twist though. The artist’s work feels charged with this era’s embrace of bold androgyny and sexual liberation—decadence and longing. Curator: And notice the color palette—that combination of intense blue and that rich, yellow background– the linework is intricate; a mesmerizing combination of simplicity and extravagance! Editor: It’s Erté, after all— pure visual luxury! To create a modern image of both woman and goddess, blending ancient symbology into a new age, through one fearless leap of faith into the great unknown. Curator: Indeed, it encapsulates a fascinating moment where modernity embraced classical and mythological themes with an unprecedented exuberance, through line and form and feminine daring. Editor: Makes you want to dive right in and embrace it all, doesn't it?