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 About
the Artist and his Art: The designs created by Erté during his long and
illustrious life influenced not only the world of theatre, film and fashion,
but an entire art movement as well. The genius of the artist is evidenced
by an enormous body of work that is considered among the most influential
and unique of the 20th century. Erté—Romain de Tirtoff—was born in Russia
in 1892, and died at age 97 in 1990. His legendary career spanned nearly the
entire length of his life. In 1912, Erté moved to Paris and his unique talent
was immediately recognized by the city’s most established couturiers. In 1915,
he began an association with Harper’s Bazaar by designing covers of each of
their magazines for the next 22 years. The influence of his work as a result
of the high visibility of this periodical influenced an entire art movement
that was to become known as “Art Deco”. Throughout this period, the artist
also created original costume and fashion designs for many of the era’s most
renowned screen actresses, including Joan Crawford, Lillian Gish, Marion Davies,
Anna Pavlova, Norma Shearer and others. His creations for the stage included
extravagent designs for productions at such venues as New York’s Radio City
Music Hall, the Casino de Paris and the Paris Opera, as well as for the Folies-Bergères
and George White’s Scandals. At the age of 75, Erté was encouraged to embark
on a new career and began to recreate the remarkable designs of his youth
in bronze and serigraphy. The Art Deco movement was hence reborn. A lifetime
of international success and recognition has ensured this unique artist's
place in the annals of art history, and his original designs grace the permanent
collections of prestigious museums throughout the world including New York’s
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution
and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
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Artist: Sergio Erté
