Ida Rubinstein and Vaslav Nijinsky in Scheherazade 1910

George Barbier made this image of Ida Rubinstein and Vaslav Nijinsky in Scheherazade with ink and watercolor. The way Barbier uses line is kind of amazing, like he’s building these intricate worlds with just a few strokes. It’s not about perfection, but about capturing a mood, a feeling. The colours in this image feel like they are shimmering, dark and rich, making you want to dive right in. There is this dancer, draped in jewels that seem to melt into her skin, her form rendered with these delicate, almost trembling lines, and the other, half-hidden, a mysterious figure lurking behind an elaborate door. The patterns are everywhere, yet there is something about the texture of the line that gives it a real sensuality. It's as though Barbier wanted to capture not just what they looked like, but the very essence of their presence. Barbier reminds me a bit of Erté, both masters of Art Deco, conjuring up these opulent, theatrical scenes, but there is also an intimacy to Barbier's work that feels all his own. Art is an ongoing conversation, a back-and-forth across time and space.