From the Vault: Erté

Erté, was an artist whose techniques heavily influenced the artistic zeitgeist of the 20^th century. He was known as the “Father of Art Deco” as his elegant and glamorous illustrations and sculptures reflected the movement’s themes of luxury through color, line, and shape. Erté adopted the pseudonym after the pronunciation of his first and last name: Romain de Tirtoff (RT). Born in Russia, Erté began his artistic career working with Paul Poiret as a costume designer. He dressed dancers and  stars such as Josephine Baker and Joan Crawford and went on to design stage sets for Broadway productions and Hollywood films. In tandem with his successful career of costume and set design, he worked as a professional illustrator, and designed over 200 covers for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. His work is in several collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution.