1990
Born Romain de Tirtoff (1892–1990) in St. Petersburg, Russia, to an aristocratic family, the artist known as Erté — a pseudonym derived from the French pronunciation of his initials — was a Renaissance man of the art and design world. He worked in graphic arts, interior design, fashion, jewelry and set design for the stage and silver screen, becoming a leader of the Art Deco style.
Moving to Paris in 1912, Erté worked as a fashion designer under couturier Paul Poiret before securing a job with Harper’s Bazaar as a cover artist. Over 22 years, Erté created more than 240 magazine covers alongside his ongoing work in fashion design.
Extending his prolific career into theater sets, costumes, prints and lithographs, Erté became one of the most famous artists of the era. His style — a combination of the nature-inspired flourishes of Art Nouveau and bold, geometric linework — directly contributed to the birth of Art Deco, earning him the nickname “the Father of Art Deco.”
After a lull of creative production in the 1940s and 1950s, Erté reentered the public eye in the 1960s, when a renewed interest in Art Deco had taken shape.
Creating colorful lithographs, bold serigraphs (silk-screen prints) and bronze sculptures, he contributed to a resurgence of the style in France and beyond. This late-life acclaim for his art led to exhibitions in museums and galleries all over the world as well as his first published monograph in 1970. That same year he was awarded the title of Chevalier du Mérite Artistique et Cultural and in 1976 was named Officier des Arts et Lettres by the French government.
Today, Erté’s works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and LACMA in Los Angeles.
On 1stDibs, browse a collection of Erté art, including fine art prints, paintings and other works.
American Millionairess
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
The inspiration for this sculpture comes from Erté's original costume design entitled "Texas," for the 1917 New York stage production of "The American Millionaires." This spectacular...
Bronze
Copacabana
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Copacabana presents Erté's vision of fantasy, splendor, and femininity in a statuesque model wearing a cabaret costume. The gown is noted for its luxuriant richness and design. Softe...
Bronze
Roaring Twenties
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Erté is largely credited with creating the look of the Jazz Age. The 'Roaring Twenties' is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London and P...
Bronze
Mermaid
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Whether in the draping of a silk gown worn by an opera diva, or in the sparkle of an intricately beaded headdress worn by a woman of society, Erté had an exceptionally acute visual memory of every detail of his early design creations. It was no wonder then that his fashion designs were so adeptly applied to the sculpture format. In Mermaid, we have a fine example of how Erté carried the technical possibilities of the sculpture medium to a new level. This attention to detail added to his legend as one of the Twentieth Century’s foremost artist-designers, with work represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Paris Opera House, the Smithsonian Institution and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Through Mermaid, Erté takes us beyond the female form by choosing the intriguing legendary sea creature whose upper body is that of a woman, and whose lower body is that of an aquatic creature. In quintessential Erté style...
Bronze
The Hunting
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Hunting is a sculptural interpretation of Autumn, a lithograph from Erté’s The Four Seasons. It represents a beautiful creature – half woman, half animal – wounded by a cruel hun...
Bronze
La Mystérieuse
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
La Mystérieuse was inspired by Erté’s design for a wedding gown published in Harper’s Bazar in 1923. Erté wrote, “The name comes from the effect of mystery of this exquisite outfit. The dress was designed to be in white crêpe embroidered with geometric designs in silver and adorned with snow-white ermine...
Bronze
Elegance, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Elegance Year: 1982 Medium: Bronze Edition: 100/250 Numbered, 12 AP, 9 HC Size: 15 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Incised...
Bronze
Rigoletto, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Rigoletto Year: 1988 Medium: Bronze Edition: 145/375 Size: 19.75 x 18.13 x 5.75 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Incised wi...
Bronze
Bamboo (bronze sculpture)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze sculpture. Incised Erte signature with stamp numbered edition, foundry and date. From the edition of 375. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent co...
Bronze
Rigoletto, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Rigoletto Year: 1988 Medium: Bronze Edition: 345/375 Numbered, 37 AP Size: 8 x 7 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Incised w...
Bronze
An Evening in 1922, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: An Evening in 1922 Year: 1982 Medium: Bronze Edition: 61/250 Numbered, 12 AP, 9 HC Size: 17 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription...
Bronze
Limited Edition Bronze Sculpture entitled "Coquette" by Erte
By Erté
Located in London, GB
A fabulous limited edition cold painted bronze figure of an elegant beauty dressed in a full length gown looking into her pocket mirror with excellent colour and very fine hand finished detail. Signed Erté, numbered 179/375, dated 1986 and with foundry mark. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 46 cm Circa: 1985 Foundry: Fine Art Acquisitions Materials: Bronze Book Ref: Erté The Last Works by Eric Estorick Page no. 104 SKU: 9104 ABOUT Erté La Coquette Erté Sculpture Erté La Coquette – Sculpture as such has been a rather late arrival in Erté’s life, but his three-dimensional creativity began long before he started to work with Paul Poiret in Paris in 1913. It began at his house in St. Petersburg in 1897, when he was five years of age and created a little theatre using his mothers empty perfume bottles...
Bronze
