Erte - Romain de Tirtoff

Robe d'après-midi by Erté

1922

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 | Russian-French Le roi de Lahore (The King of Lahore) Signed “Erté” (lower right) Inscribed "Les Rois des Légendes / No. 11 / Le Roi de Lahore /...

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 Russian-French L'Esclave porteuse d'éventailThe fan-carrying slave Signed "Erté" (lower right) Inscribed "Les Rois des Légendes / N°23 / L'Esclav...

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 Russian-French Princesse d'Asie Signed "Erté" (lower right) Watercolor and ink on paper Erté reinvigorated the Orientalist imagery of 19th-centu...

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 | Russian-French Le Roi Mage Gaspard Mage King Gaspard Signed “Erté” (lower right) Inscribed "Les Rois des Légendes / N°3 / Roi Mage Gaspard / Date : 28 Février 1919 / No. 222" (en verso) Ink and gouache on paper A testament to Erté's pioneering creativity, this elaborate costume design was created for a 1919 production of Les Rois des Légendes, a performance that showcased a variety of legendary kings from throughout history. One of the three Magi, Gaspard or Gaspar (also known as Casper), was a legendary Magi who, alongside Melchior and Balthasar, paid homage to the baby Jesus. Gaspard is often depicted as an Indian king...

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 | Russian-French Le fiancé Signed “Erté” (lower right) Inscribed "Les Rois des Légendes / No. 13 / Le Fiancé / 28 févr...

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 | Russian-French Costume Oriental Signed “Erté”(lower right) Inscribed "No. 19" (en verso) Gouache on paper Titled Costume Oriental, this ensemble epitomizes Erté's signature fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetic elements. The attire features grey pantaloons enveloped by a vivid red skirt adorned with intricate white Orientalist motifs. The bodice, a geometric tapestry of black and white stripes, is composed of narrow horizontal black bands juxtaposed with glittering gemstones. This visual harmony is accentuated by a trio of diamond shapes vertically aligned on the chest. The crowning element is a gem-encrusted turban, surmounted by three red fan shapes, lending the headpiece the appearance of a striking medallion. This sartorial masterpiece is an authentic Erté creation for the 1926 rendition of George White's Scandals, staged at the Heilig Theatre in Portland, Oregon. The revue initially debuted at the Apollo Theatre in New York City on June 30, 1924, enjoying a run of 196 performances before embarking on a tour. Orchestrated by George White from 1919 to 1939, the Scandals series distinguished itself through its timely comedy and exceptional choreography, a testament to White's expertise as a dancer. In contrast to the more lavish Ziegfeld Follies,Scandals offered a streamlined yet sophisticated experience. The Sixth Edition was particularly remarkable for its artistic collaborations: Erté designed the scenery and curtains, while George Gershwin composed the musical score, which included the classic "Somebody Loves Me." The production featured an ensemble of notable performers, including Nyra Brown and the Leeland Sisters. The artist, 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. Often remembered as the “Father of Art Deco,” 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 1926 Paper: 12“ high x 9 wide Frame: 19 1/4“ high x 16 1/8” wide x 5/8" deep Exhibitions: M.S. Rau, New Orleans, Erté and the Era of Art Deco, October 14, 2023 - January 3, 2024 Provenance: Private collection, Paris Christie's South Kensington: Sale, 2014 Bouret Gonzalez Collection Sydney and Sibyl Colefax...

This poster from the 1930s draws from a well known Chinese opera scene. It melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. These advertisements, influenced by the Art Deco movement in the west, recall the economic boom of early 20th century Shanghai, an international center of business and trade. Layered with imagery of traditional Chinese life, the poster is nonetheless an advertisement for the modern cigarette industry, with several tobacco brands displayed in the top left corner, including Lan Ting, Hong Chun, and Jade Rabbit...

An original Art Deco illustration hand-painted with ink and gouache on paper. The drawing features two elegant women with large windows and drapery in the background. This illustrati...

A French Art Deco illustrative drawing, hand painted in ink and gouache on blue laid paper. The design includes a collection of fashion accessories, handbags, gloves, hats, and perfu...

Jean Dupas (French, 1882 – 1964) The angel of light Pen and ink and charcoal on paper 14.3/4 x 12.1/2 in. (37.5 x 31.8 cm.) One of the leading artists of the Art Deco period, Jean Théodore Dupas was the son of a merchant marine captain and began his adult life as a merchant seaman. Poor health meant that he had to abandon this career and he enrolled in art school instead, first in his native Bordeaux and later in Paris. He won the Prix de Rome in the category of painting in 1910 and studied at the Académie de France in Rome, from where he sent several paintings to the Paris Salons, although his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of war. Dupas’s work came to public prominence on the occasion of the seminal Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 1925. He was chosen by the furniture designer Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann to provide paintings for the latter’s Maison d’un collectionneur, alongside furniture by Ruhlmann and objects by many of the leading Art Deco craftsmen of the day, while other paintings by Dupas were also displayed to great effect elsewhere in the Exposition. In the late 1920’s and 1930’s Dupas won a number of important and prestigious commissions. In 1926 he worked alongside Ruhlmann and the sculptor Alfred Jeanniot on the decoration of the tearoom of the ocean liner Ile-de-France; the first of the grand transatlantic ships to be built in France after the First World War. By this time Dupas had firmly established his reputation. Writing in 1927, his fellow artist George Barbier could already note that ‘Few artists have at such an early age attained such a degree of success, or gathered around them such swarms of imitators and disciples.’ Dupas reached the height of his fame in the mid 1930’s, and in 1934 he received his most important commission to date; a series of large glass murals...

Charles Gesmar (French, 1900 - 1928) Portrait of Jane Marnac, 1921 Gouache and ink on paper with some watercolour Signed ‘C. Gesmar. 21’ (upper left) 18 x 18 in. (45.8 x 45.8 cm.) Gesmar had a very short but successful artistic career prior to his tragic death from pneumonia. He designed for Mistinguett, creating costumes as well as many other commissions for the theatres of the day in Paris. He worked with posters and is thought of as a talent equal to Leon Bakst, his graphic designs linking the works of Toulouse Lautrec and Rene Grau...

Fabled Vogue Magazine Cover Artist Eduardo Garcia Benito depicts a perfectly posed long-neck flapper with her reflection in a mirror, Her extrav...