Profile in Pink Flowers 

Erté, the Russian-born French artist, created *Profile in Pink Flowers* using gouache and ink. Erté was a master of the pochoir technique – a highly refined method of printmaking involving stencils. Each colour was applied individually by hand through a separate stencil, a labor-intensive process that demanded precision and skill. The result is a rich, velvety surface, with crisp lines and vibrant colours. The work’s elegant lines and stylized forms are typical of the Art Deco era, celebrating luxury, glamour and modernity, themes that also dominated Erté’s work for magazines like *Harper’s Bazaar*. Yet *Profile in Pink Flowers* elevates the purely decorative through its laborious making, and its clear affinity with the traditions of pattern design. In a world increasingly dominated by mass production, Erté reminds us of the value of handcraft and the beauty of meticulous execution.