Oriental 

Editor: This drawing is entitled "Oriental" by Erte. I’m immediately struck by the extravagance of the costume. It's theatrical. What are some things that catch your eye about it? Curator: It feels like stepping into a dream, doesn't it? Like something you might see in a vintage fashion magazine but utterly fantastical. For me, it's the interplay between opulence and the linear simplicity of the Art Deco style. You see all these beads, feathers, that massive train... but contained within elegant, graphic lines. The composition is wonderfully flat. What do you think is the artist is trying to communicate with that combination of decadent material and that restrained aesthetic? Editor: Maybe it's about controlling excess, showing the possibilities of embellishment in a way that's elegant and contained? Curator: Exactly! I think there is tension in that opposition and yet he does it so harmoniously. Think about the era—the Roaring Twenties—and this almost desperate grasping for beauty and luxury after the war, but expressed with that sleek, modern sensibility. It’s like saying, “We’ve been through the darkness, and now we’re embracing the light… but we’re doing it with style, darling!” Does that ring true for you? Editor: It does! I initially focused on how the piece is extravagant, but I love the way you've framed the piece by thinking about how the piece reflects the attitude of the 1920s. Thank you for this explanation! Curator: My pleasure! Art's at its best when it becomes a mirror to ourselves and the stories we tell, right? And isn't this a fabulous story?