Number Nine 1968

Curator: Erté's "Number Nine" presents us with a fascinating blend of Art Deco elegance and symbolism. What's your initial take on its impact? Editor: It feels opulent, yet streamlined. I'm drawn to the contrast between the flat black ground and the intricate detailing in the figure and border. Curator: Erté often explored themes of femininity and spectacle, and this piece encapsulates that. The number nine is personified as a slender, almost ethereal figure, draped in stylized patterns. How do you read its materiality relating to its message? Editor: The materials used—likely printmaking—allow for the precise, clean lines that define the Art Deco style. This precision, this repeatability, speaks to the industrial production of luxury goods during the era. Curator: Exactly! The imagery, from the stylized hair to the flowing form, seems to echo the era's social liberation and its focus on visual pleasure. Editor: It’s a compelling point. I'm left thinking about how the artist's technique really emphasizes that period's complex relationship between handcrafted detail and mechanical reproduction. Curator: Indeed, it's a beautiful marriage of aesthetics and industrial processes. Editor: A union I find really evocative.