Ganna Walska in Rigoletto 

Curator: This poster by Erté, titled "Ganna Walska in Rigoletto," is a fabulous example of Art Deco graphic art. The figure almost seems suspended against the stark black background. Editor: My first impression is how controlled the whole thing is. The artist uses precise lines and blocks of colour. The fabric drapes are simplified into curves, which look very crisp and industrial. Curator: Erté excelled at distilling emotional resonance and power into simplified forms. Look at the tilt of her head and the placement of the mask; there is a profound sense of resignation here. Masks and theatrical dress were highly charged symbols, frequently deployed to signify not only deception and shifting identity, but underlying truths. Editor: Yes, but everything here points back to construction. The sharp angles of her ruffled collar play with the simplified geometry of her costume and hair. I wonder about the processes involved in creating such an image for mass consumption. There must have been highly skilled laborers translating his designs into reproducible form, and who were they? Curator: Those shapes lend an almost ethereal quality, wouldn't you agree? We’re encouraged to bring our awareness of human relationships and human drama to that stillness. Note how the curves of her gown soften those lines to offer us this counterpoint between the artifice of theatre, and the feeling it provokes. Editor: Absolutely, though the material itself feels somewhat de-emphasized in favor of pure color and sharp lines. There is very little shading, which contributes to the flattening effect and highlights how the image operates as design rather than direct representation. Even her dress looks mass produced. Curator: This poster succeeds beautifully in evoking the tragic dimension of this famous opera, inviting us to consider the symbolic weight of theatrical costume and posture. It captures a pivotal moment in time through its deliberate and resonant artistic language. Editor: Indeed, considering the means by which images like this were circulated reminds us that art making involves complex production processes deeply entwined with larger social and economic conditions.