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Erte - Romain de TirtoffAve Maria by Erté1928
1928
About the Item
Erté (Romain de Tirtoff)
1892-1990 Russian-French
Ave Maria
Signed "Erté" (center right)
Inscribed "N°1.349 / Victor Herbert Finale / Ave Maria / Décor / G.W.S. 1928" (en verso)
Gouache on paper
Designed for a performance in 1928,Ave Maria reflects the apex of Erté's expertise in set design. Erté's vision for the performance feels otherworldly, as he renders a host of angels within the display. Vibrant blue hues intermingle with the warm light of countless candles, imbuing the painting with a transcendent and ethereal air. Erté's sets did more than match the performances they were designed for; his creations elevated the shows to higher levels of emotional and artistic potency.
The captivating alliance between Erté and the vibrant performing arts scene of Paris transported audiences tonew heights throughout the early 20th century. Erté emerged as an unmatched and emblematic creative force whose visionary designs were imbued with an otherworldly appeal. His mesmerizing costume and set designs left an indelible imprint on operatic and theater productions of the period.
Russian-French visionary Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990), popularly known as Erté, began his artistic journey in the culturally rich city of St. Petersburg, where he developed an early fondness for ballet and theatrical performances. He moved to Paris in 1912 to study architecture, and quickly found his creative niche in crafting fantastical costumes for the city's bustling nightlife. Erté's expertise, refined under the guidance of the famed Paul Poiret, captured the attention of Harper's Bazaar, marking the beginning of a significant partnership that spanned from 1915 to 1936. The artist also designed sets for notable cinematic masterpieces including Ben Hur and La Bohème, and created sets and costumes for cabarets, operas and other performances at the Folies-Bergères, Bal Tabarin, the Théâtre du Bataclan and Le Casino de Paris. Erté was a trailblazer whose colorful creations shaped the groundbreaking Art Deco era more than any other, leaving an indelible mark on the history of art and design. His artworks reside in prestigious museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Painted 1928
Paper: 11" high x 15" wide
Frame: 16 7/8" high x 20 3/4" wide x 5/8" deep
Label affixed en verso translates to: "A large, highly stylized statue of the Virgin, all in silver adorned with diamonds, emerges from a pyramid of candles, these candles must be made of cardboard with electric bulbs imitating flames exactly. Below, around the candles, nuns, all dressed in long white robes, are kneeling; they sing while stretching their arms towards the Madonna. From the high crown of the Virgin comes an enormous blue veil with printed designs representing enormous white angels and clouds of different blue tones at the bottom. It is through this veil that we see the statue of the Madonna, the candles and the nuns; it requires very bright lighting behind the veil. The top of the Virgin's crown, which is not veiled by the blue veil, forms like a dome of diamonds. Behind the statue of the Virgin we see an aurora embroidered in diamonds and different shades of blue. This halo is embroidered on the plain black velvet background curtain. It is necessary that the statue of the Virgin is very well sculpted."
Provenance:
Private collection, Paris
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Exhibitions:
M.S. Rau, New Orleans, Erté and the Era of Art Deco, October 14, 2023 - January 3, 2024
- Creator:Erte - Romain de Tirtoff (1892 - 1990, Russian)
- Creation Year:1928
- Dimensions:Height: 16.875 in (42.87 cm)Width: 20.75 in (52.71 cm)Depth: 0.625 in (1.59 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New Orleans, LA
- Reference Number:
Erte - Romain de Tirtoff
Erté, Romain de Tirtoff, (1892–1990) was a Russian-born French artist and designer who is equally famous for his elegant fashion designs and his artwork, both of which capture the art deco period in which he worked. Diversely talented, Erté was born in Saint Petersburg to a distinguished family with roots tracing back to 1548. After moving to Paris, he secured his first substantial contract with Harper's Bazaar magazine, and thus launched an illustrious career that included designing costumes and stage sets. Between 1915–1937, Erte designed over 200 covers for Harper's Bazaar, and his illustrations would also appear in such publications as Illustrated London News, Cosmopolitan, Ladies' Home Journal, and Vogue. Erté flourished and was renowned in an array of fields, including fashion, jewelry, graphic arts, costume and set design for film, theater, and opera, and interior decor.
After designing apparel for the French dancer Gaby Deslys, Erté went on to design costumes, program designs, and sets which were featured in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1923, many productions of the Folies Bergère, and George White's Scandals. On Broadway, the celebrated French chanteuse Irène Bordoni wore Erté's designs. His delicate figures and sophisticated, glamorous designs are instantly recognizable, and his ideas and art still influence fashion into the 21st century.
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