Chez les nues pour Roland Petit I by Erté

Erté (Romain de Tirtoff)
1892-1990 | Russian-French

Chez les nues
(Home of the Nudes)

Signed “Erté” (lower right)
Inscribed "N°18.394 / Chez les Nues / Premier aspect du décor / Composition originale" (en verso)
Gouache and gold on paper

This original gouache from the creative mind of Erté entitled Chez les nues embodies the Art Deco glamour and tongue-in-cheek artistry for which the artist’s works are so beloved. Created for Roland Petit, one of Erté’s closest confidants, this set design showcases the oft-called Father of Art Deco’s groundbreaking creativity. 

Roland Petit was a transformative figure in 20th-century ballet, known for infusing contemporary and theatrical elements into classical ballet traditions. His innovative choreographies brought the visionary great renown and celebrity. Erté’s creations for Petit made the performances even more transcendent, adding greater visual spectacle to the dancers onstage. In this gouache, Erté designs a backstage dressing room, complete with four nude performers sitting at mirrored vanities. Each figure appears totally nude with the exception of a large black feathered headpiece. Erté’s dramatic vision is realized in black, white, red and gold hues, adding to its captivating art deco allure. The tableau is completed by an apropos proscenium pediment—a fully nude gold bust that merges the classic beauty of the Venus-like form with the modernity of a Deco-era dress form. Artful and over-the-top, this dressing room design embodies the clever creativity and daring sensuality of Erté‘s oeuvre. 

Russian-French visionary Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990), popularly known as Erté, began his artistic journey in the culturally rich city of St. Petersburg, where he developed an early fondness for ballet and theatrical performances. He moved to Paris in 1912 to study architecture, and quickly found his creative niche in crafting fantastical costumes for the city’s bustling nightlife. Erté‘s expertise, refined under the guidance of the famed Paul Poiret, captured the attention of Harper’s Bazaar, marking the beginning of a significant partnership that spanned from 1915 to 1936. The artist also designed sets for notable cinematic masterpieces including Ben Hur and La Bohème, and created sets and costumes for cabarets, operas and other performances at the Folies-Bergères, Bal Tabarin, the Théâtre du Bataclan and Le Casino de Paris. Erté was a trailblazer whose colorful creations shaped the groundbreaking Art Deco era more than any other, leaving an indelible mark on the history of art and design. His artworks reside in prestigious museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Painted 1974

Paper: 7 1/4” high by 12” wide
Frame: 12 3/4” high by 17 1/4” wide by 3/4" deep

Exhibitions:
M.S. Rau, New Orleans, Erté and the Era of Art Deco, October 14, 2023 - January 3, 2024

Provenance:
Estate of the artist
Collection Serge Leeman
Private collection, Paris
M.S. Rau, New Orleans