Coquette, 1921

This is a pencil signed etching by German artist Ernest Oppler.  The title is: Coquette, created and printed in 1921, numbered 33/100.  The image measures 5 3/4X8 1/8 inches.  Printed on a medium weight wove type sheet. Oppler did not seek to portray “dance” as a concept, but rather the distinct personality of each dancer while on stage. Because of this, he became very familiar with some of the greatest ballet stars of the era such as Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, and Tamara Karsavina.  His obsession with capturing dancers in motion became so great that he even developed a lighted pen in order to sketch in darkened theaters during performances.