Erté Paintings
Born Romain de Tirtoff (1892–1990) in St. Petersburg, Russia, to an aristocratic family, the artist known as Erté — a pseudonym derived from the French pronunciation of his initials — was a Renaissance man of the art and design world. He worked in graphic arts, interior design, fashion, jewelry and set design for the stage and silver screen, becoming a leader of the Art Deco style.
Moving to Paris in 1912, Erté worked as a fashion designer under couturier Paul Poiret before securing a job with Harper’s Bazaar as a cover artist. Over 22 years, Erté created more than 240 magazine covers alongside his ongoing work in fashion design.
Extending his prolific career into theater sets, costumes, prints and lithographs, Erté became one of the most famous artists of the era. His style — a combination of the nature-inspired flourishes of Art Nouveau and bold, geometric linework — directly contributed to the birth of Art Deco, earning him the nickname “the Father of Art Deco.”
After a lull of creative production in the 1940s and 1950s, Erté reentered the public eye in the 1960s, when a renewed interest in Art Deco had taken shape.
Creating colorful lithographs, bold serigraphs (silk-screen prints) and bronze sculptures, he contributed to a resurgence of the style in France and beyond. This late-life acclaim for his art led to exhibitions in museums and galleries all over the world as well as his first published monograph in 1970. That same year he was awarded the title of Chevalier du Mérite Artistique et Cultural and in 1976 was named Officier des Arts et Lettres by the French government.
Today, Erté’s works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and LACMA in Los Angeles.
On 1stDibs, browse a collection of Erté art, including fine art prints, paintings and other works.
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Erté Paintings
Plastic, Paper
Mid-20th Century Erté Paintings
Lacquer
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Erté Paintings
Gouache
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Erté Paintings
Canvas
1970s French Art Deco Vintage Erté Paintings
Silk
1970s French Art Deco Vintage Erté Paintings
Silk
20th Century Asian Erté Paintings
Glass, Acrylic, Wood
Late 20th Century Erté Paintings
Paint
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Erté Paintings
Canvas
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Erté Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Giltwood, Paint
20th Century Art Deco Erté Paintings
Acrylic, Paper
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Erté Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Paint
Mid-20th Century Erté Paintings
Paint, Paper
1890s Spanish Sporting Art Antique Erté Paintings
Wood, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Modern Erté Paintings
Ceramic, Wood
20th Century Art Deco Erté Paintings
Paper
20th Century Art Deco Erté Paintings
Paper
Early 20th Century Erté Paintings
Paper
Early 20th Century Erté Paintings
Paper
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Erté Paintings
Paper
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Erté Paintings
Gouache
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Erté Paintings
Paper
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Erté Paintings
Paper