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Costume à l'Antique by Erté
- Erté‘s design brings the glory of Classical antiquity into modern focus
- His subject dons Greco-Roman clothing, but her visage emulates cosmetic trends of the modern era
- The artist also incorporates geometric patterns typically found in Greek pottery
- Erté‘s prowess in melding historical echoes with contemporary sensibilities is on display
- Get complete item description here
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1892-1990 | Russian-French
Costume à l'Antique
Signed “Erté” (lower right)
Inscribed “N°16.152” (en verso)
Erté‘s design for Costume à l'Antique brings the glory of Classical antiquity into modern focus. His subject's thin brows and heavy-lidded eyes, rimmed with a cerulean hue that matches her Greco-Roman-inspired attire, imbue the image with an unmistakable modernity by emulating cosmetic trends of the Jazz Age. The artist also incorporates geometric patterns typically. . .
1892-1990 | Russian-French
Costume à l'Antique
Signed “Erté” (lower right)
Inscribed “N°16.152” (en verso)
Erté‘s design for Costume à l'Antique brings the glory of Classical antiquity into modern focus. His subject's thin brows and heavy-lidded eyes, rimmed with a cerulean hue that matches her Greco-Roman-inspired attire, imbue the image with an unmistakable modernity by emulating cosmetic trends of the Jazz Age. The artist also incorporates geometric patterns typically found in Greek pottery and places the woman against a dramatic, dark background to further heighten the image's graphic qualities. Painted circa 1928, Costume à l'Antique served as a manifestation of Erté's prowess in melding historical echoes with contemporary sensibilities in a way that pushed the Art Deco style to new heights.
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 1928
Paper: 14 1/2" high x 10 3/4" wide
Frame: 20 3/4" high x 16 5/8" wide x 5/8" deep
Provenance:
Private collection, Paris
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
