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.
Mystic Limited Edition Porcelain Plate, Art Deco, 1990s, Unframed
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Mystic Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This very rare plate was produced for House Of Ertè in fin...
Porcelain
Twilight Limited Edition Ceramic Plate, Royal Doulton, 1990s, Unframed
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Twilight Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This plate was produced by Royal Doulton, an English ceramic manufacturing company fo...
Ceramic
Love's Enchantment Limited edition silver, gold and onyx pearl & diamond brooch
By Erté
Located in New York, NY
Erte Love's Enchantment, ca. 1980 Sterling silver brooch with 14K gold, onyx background and mother of pearl woman's head set with (4) full cut round brilliant diamonds 1 1/2 in diam...
Metal, Gold, Silver
Directoire Porcelain Collector Plate, Art Deco, Limited Edition, 1990
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Directoire Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This very rare plate was produced for House Of Ertè in...
Porcelain
Diva II Limited Edition Porcelain Plate, Art Deco, 1990s, Unframed
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Diva II Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This very rare plate was produced for House Of Ertè in fi...
Porcelain
Glamour Limited Edition Porcelain Plate, Art Deco, 1990s, Unframed
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Glamour Plate is an decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This very rare plate was produced for House Of Ertè in fine porcel...
Porcelain
Willow Tree Porcelain Plate, Limited Edition, 1990, Unframed
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Willow Tree Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This beautiful and very rare plate was produced for Hous...
Porcelain
La Merveilleuse - Porcelain Collector Plate - 1990
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
La Merveilleuse Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This very rare plate was produced for House Of Ertè...
Porcelain
Plum Blossom Porcelain Plate, Art Deco, Limited Edition, 1990s
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Plum Blossom Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This charming and very rare plate was produced for H...
Porcelain
$5,200
H 16.25 in W 9.5 in D 7.5 in
Dramatic Amphora Ceramic with Art Nouveau Maiden in Lily Bouquet c. 1900
By RStK Amphora
Located in Chicago, IL
Incredibly dramatic Amphora ceramic featuring a maiden resting on a trio of lilies, her golden gown cascading into a gathered earthen base. Stamped Amphora...
Ceramic
Muller Freres French Art Deco Table Lamp
Located in Miami, FL
Muller Freres Lamp, 1910 Boudoir lamp with roses, Acid-etched cameo glass, and wrought metal 20 x 8 in
Metal
KPM Porcelain Plaque - "Victory Personified" 19th Century Woman
Located in Jacksonville, FL
Frame Size: Hight: 18″ x Width: 12.25″ Picture Size: Hight: 9″ x Width: 6.12″ Experience the allure of victory with this exquisite 19th Century Hand Painted Plaque depicting a bea...
Porcelain
$2,550Sale Price|25% Off
H 60 in W 48 in
Synthesism: Solitude 4 - Bold Graffiti Textural Original Painting on Canvas
By Jason DeMeo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
$272Sale Price|20% Off
H 5.91 in Dm 6.3 in
Circlet Art Deco Ceramic Vase, Spring Yellow, Trenton Pottery, 1930s
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
Streamline moderne or Art Deco, "Circlet" or "Disc" vase designed by G. McStay Jackson for Trenton potteries, an iconic design of their time. Made only from 1935-1942, they were part...
Ceramic
$250
H 10.4 in Dm 10.4 in
Untitled Limited Edition Porcelain Plate (Guggenheim Museum) Robert Rauschenberg
By Robert Rauschenberg
Located in New York, NY
Robert Rauschenberg Rare lifetime edition Untitled Limited Edition Porcelain Plate (Guggenheim Museum), 1997 Porcelain Plate (Limited Edition Exclusively for Guggenheim) 10 2/5 in di...
Porcelain, Screen
Mid Century C. Jere Wall Sculpture
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Mid Century C. Jere brass over door or wall art with a chic pleaded design reminiscent of a sunrise with Art Deco influences. Signed C. Jere 1984.
Brass
$5,000
H 13 in W 6.5 in D 5 in
Pair of French Porcelain de Paris Gold Urns with Scenes of Roman History
Located in Beachwood, OH
Pair of French Porcelain de Paris Gold Urns with Scenes of Roman History, Early 19th Century 13 x 6.5 x 5 inches The base of one urn states “Tibrius Gracchus Ferme Le Temple De Satu...
Porcelain
$775
H 9.5 in W 10.5 in D 2.75 in
Organic Ammonite Vase by Schäffenacker, Modernist c. 1950
By Helmut Friedrich Schäffenacker
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand-glazed, ammonite-shaped vase in a deep rust color made by Helmut Schäffenacker. Numbered in the base. Form V-6. Helmut Schäffenacker founded Atelier Schäffenacker in West Germ...
Ceramic
$5,000
H 9.75 in Dm 4 in
Grapevine Vase by Clement Massier, Art Nouveau c. 1900
By Clement Massier
Located in Chicago, IL
Ceramic vase in a blue and green metallic lustre glaze by master of iridescence Clement Massier, with clusters of grapes and leaves in deep purple. Signed MCM in the base, and number...
Ceramic
1024 Colors - Tufted Carpet by Vorwerk - Unframed
By Gerhard Richter
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Gerhar Richter, in collaboration with Vorwerk, made a special edition titled: 1024 Colors. The color palette by Richter is brought in with high quality pieces of carpet. *The images...
Textile, Mixed Media
$3,036
H 12.6 in Dm 9.45 in
Raoul Lachenal Large Crackle Glaze Egyptian Blue French Baluster Ceramic Vase
Located in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
This beautiful baluster-shaped vase features the vivid hypnotic Egyptian blue (which some call "turquoise", although it's not) Raoul Lachenal is most renowned for. Drop-shaped white...
Ceramic
Flute Majestique
By Erté
Located in New York, NY
A pair of remarkably elegant, fine crystal champagne flutes, titled “Flute Majestique,” as designed by the Father of Art Deco - Erté (Romain de Tirtoff), each bearing his etched sig...
Glass
"Fireflies" Diamonds, Sapphire, and Crystal 14k Necklace
By Erté
Located in Austin, TX
Artist: Erte Item: "Fireflies" Diamonds, Sapphire, and Crystal Necklace 61/250 Date: 20th Century Erte 14kt gold pendant depicting a carved crystal profile of a woman with 14kt gold and silver headdress inlaid with diamonds and sapphire. Pendant is set on a 14kt gold chain...
Gold
Sold
H 9.85 in W 9.85 in D 0.79 in
Pour Hélène Martini Plate - Porcelain Collector Plate - 1976
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Pour Hélène Martini Plate is an original decorative porcelain plate realized in 1976. This very rare plate reproduces a sketch on blue background by Er...
Porcelain
Beauty and the Beast - Porcelain Collector Plate - 1990
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Beauty and the Beast Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This very rare plate was produced for House Of Ertè in fine porcelain. T...
Porcelain
Athena - Porcelain Collector Plate - 1990
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Athena Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This very rare plate was produced for House Of Ertè in fin...
Porcelain
Queen of the Night - Porcelain Collector Plate - 1990
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Queen of the Night Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This beautiful and very rare plate was pr...
Porcelain
Fireflies - Porcelain Collector Plate - 1990
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Fireflies is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in the 1990s. This plate was produced by Royal Doulton, an English ceramic manufacturing company founded...
Porcelain
Ondee - Ceramic Collector Plate - 1990
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Ondee Plate is an original decorative limited edition porcelain plate realized in 1990. This plate was produced by Royal Doulton, an English ceramic manufacturing company founded in...
Ceramic
Le Pigeon
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is a unique, original gouache on paper by Erte, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. Erte was a vastly diverse artist who excelled in an array of fields including fashion, jew...
Gouache
All Sails Up
By Erté
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original limited edition bronze hand mirror by Erte (Romain de Tirtoff). A stunning Art Deco- style hand mirror, designed by Erte and cast using the lost wax technique at the Joel Meisner & Co. Foundry. Erte, whose fashion images adorned the pages of Harpers bazaar from 1932-1937, was one of the most prominent French illustrators of the Art deco period. Although he is best know for his fashion illustrations and magazine cover designs, Erte also enjoyed designing and sculpting three-dimensional objects from an early age. Erte explains in his artist’s statement: “Since my boyhood in fashion,theatre and decorative arts,i have designed three-dimensional pieces as a medium of expression and I have always enjoyed sculpting as one of my g=favorite means of expression. This mirror fits perfectly within his stylish aesthetic: The back of the piece is graced with a glamorous woman dressed in the fashion of the 1930’s,wearing draping strands of golden...
Bronze