The Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Artist Erte

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Romain de Tirtoff (or “Erté” – a nickname based on the French pronunciation of his initials) was destined for a military career, as his father was an admiral in the Russian fleet. However, he defied expectations and proved that he was to become a fabulous fashion illustrator, moving to Paris in 1912. He is notorious for his elaborate costumes and exotic designs, especially at the Folies-Bergère in Paris. Erté also spent a brief period of his life in Hollywood in 1925, working with MGM at the invitation of Louis B. Mayer.

Raised as a child of the socially elite, Erté lived in Paris for a year in 1907, then moved to France at the age of 20 to work in the world’s center of art and fashion. His father strongly objected to his career choice, leading Erté to work under his pseudonym. He began his career under Paul Poiret, the most respected couturier in Paris at the time, from 1913-1914. Erté went on to work for Harper’s Bazaar for 22 years where he created more than 240 magazine covers, and his artwork appeared in publications like Vogue and Cosmopolitan.

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 His reputation earned him the patronage of Mata Hari, Pavlova and William Randolph Hearst, as he became a major contributor to 20th-century fashion. Erté began his work with the fine print media in the 1970s, publishing more than 180 of his designs through the Circle Fine Art Corporation and then numerous lithographs and serigraphs commissioned by various publishers.  In 1979, the Smithsonian Institution organized a retrospective of his work, which traveled to major museums across the U.S. and Canada.

 Erté is often referenced as one of the founders of Art Deco, the style that came into vogue internationally in the 1920s. Erté defined it as the fusion of the curvilinear designs of Art Nouveau of the 19th century with the Cubist, Constructivist, and geometrical designs of modernity. He was also influenced by Persian miniatures and would often use a brush with a single hair to complete his gouache paintings.

His imagination was limitless and Erté designed costumes, stage sets, jewelry, objet d’art, sculpture, and ceramics. His costumes and sets were used in productions of the Foiles Bergere and on Broadway, and in 1925 he worked in Hollywood, designing sets for movies like “Ben-Hur,” “Time” and “Dance Madness.” He also worked on ballets, operas and revues, and even created seven limited edition bottle designs for Courvoisier that depicted the different stages of cognac creation.

Erté drew comparisons between his art and his interior design, saying it is all based on fantasy. Unlike many artists who work freely before a canvas or sketchpad, Erté developed his own unique process: he would visualize the entire work of art in his mind until it was completed to every detail and then create the work from his “mind’s eye.”

At the time of his death at the age of 97, he was considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.