Erté

Erté was a Russian artist and designer known for his glamorous opera sets, jewelry, costumes, and graphic arts. His work is quintessentially emblematic of the Art Deco style in its use of tapering lines and simplified ornamentation inspired by the natural world, and his figurines are internationally known and desired as collectible objects.

Born Roman Petrovich Tyrtov on November 23, 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia to an aristocratic family, he moved to Paris in 1910, disobeying his father’s wishes for him to become a naval officer. In 1915, he secured a contract with Harper’s Bazaar magazine, producing numerous illustrations and other media.

Today, Erté’s work can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He died on April 21, 1990 in Paris, France.