Erté

(Russian, 1892 – 1989)

“Not only do I do what I want to do, but I do my work in my own way and never have been influenced by another artist.”
— Erté

Renowned for his elegant fashion designs, Erté was an innovator and key player in the Art Deco movement. Perhaps his most popular image is Symphony in Black, depicting a stylized, slender, and lengthy woman draped in black holding an equally sleek dog on a leash.

Romain de Tirtoff, known later as Erté, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892. The only son of an admiral in the Imperial Fleet, he was raised amidst Russia’s social elite. As a young boy, he found Persian miniatures in his father’s library which fascinated him. These exotic, brightly patterned designs continued to be important to him and influenced the development of his style. He moved to Paris at the age of eighteen and took the name Erté, from the French pronunciation of his initials. In 1915, he and Harper’s Bazaar began a relationship, during which he would create over 240 covers for the magazine. His fashion designs also appeared in many other publications, making him one of the most widely recognized artists of the 1920’s. He designed resplendent costumes and sets for the theater, as well as limited edition prints, bronzes, and wearable art. In 1976, the French government awarded Erté the title of Officer of the Arts and Letters, and in 1982 he received the Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris.

Prominent museums around the world have exhibited Erté’s work, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum in California, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. Many consider him the originator of the Art Deco Movement, and his designs are still widely recognized today.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Erté. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection.  We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.