Statue of Liberty 

This Statue of Liberty was made by Erte, an artist who moved effortlessly between the fine and applied arts. His elegant style is on full display here. The artwork is a print, a medium capable of rendering fine detail, and of being reproduced at scale. This connects to wider issues of labor, politics, and consumption. The medium lends itself to mass production, which democratizes art, making it more accessible to a wider audience. Note the sharp contrast between the gold figure and the deep black background. The fireworks have a texture and depth of color that’s almost jewel-like. These aesthetic qualities were achieved through skilled printing, transforming something mundane into an object of beauty. The final result is imbued with social and cultural significance. Erte has used commercial production and the aesthetics of fine art together to challenge traditional divisions between art and craft.