Water at the Bal Tabarin 

This is a pochoir print by Erte, likely made in France during the height of the Art Deco movement. Erte was primarily a costume and fashion designer. This piece is indicative of the ways that commercial art served as a public-facing projection of cosmopolitan sophistication and luxury. The Bal Tabarin was a popular cabaret in Paris, a place of modern entertainment for the wealthy, and this image creates meaning through its references to performance and fashion. Note the stylized figure, the flowing gown, and the emphasis on line and color. Erte’s work reveals an interest in how institutions, like the fashion industry, can shape and promote a particular vision of glamour. For the historian, this artwork serves as a portal into understanding the cultural values of its time. By consulting magazines, advertisements, and other printed ephemera, we can better appreciate the role of commercial art in shaping social attitudes and desires. It reminds us that art is always embedded in a specific historical and institutional context.