1980
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.
Rigoletto, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Rigoletto Year: 1985 Medium: Embossed silkscreen with foil stamping on wove paper Edition: 188/300, plus proofs Size: 38 x 31.25 in...
Screen
Erté, Ebony in White, 1982
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Ebony in White Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on wove paper Size: 33 x 24 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed by the art...
Lithograph
Erté, Ebony in White, 1982
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Ebony in White Year: 1982 Medium: Lithograph on wove paper Size: 33 x 24 inches Condition: Good Inscription: Signed by the artist N...
Lithograph
Rigoletto, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Rigoletto Year: 1988 Medium: Bronze Edition: 345/375 Numbered, 37 AP Size: 8 x 7 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Incised w...
Bronze
Latin Quarter, 1978, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Latin Quarter Year: 1978 Medium: Lithograph on premium paper Size: 27.75 x 22.75 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed by...
Lithograph
Rigoletto, Erté
By Erté
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Erte, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990) Title: Rigoletto Year: 1988 Medium: Bronze Edition: 145/375 Size: 19.75 x 18.13 x 5.75 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Incised wi...
Bronze
Diva I Embossed Serigraph with Foil Stamping, Signed, 21/300, 53x43 in
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Diva I, from Diva Suite. Embossed serigraph with foil stamping on paper. Hand signed lower right by Erte. Hand numbered 21/300 lower left. Sheet size: 3...
Foil
Troisemmè Dame, 1919
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Troisemmè Dame from 1919 is a gouache painting on paper, 12 x 9.5 inches, framed in a custom, closed-corner, Art Deco frame to 20.25 x 18 inches. Signed recto 'Erté' mid lower right ...
Paper, Gouache
Copacabana (large hand signed foil stamped embossed serigraph)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Serigraph in colors with foil stamping and embossment on wove paper. Hand signed lower right by Erte. Hand numbered 154/300 lower left. Sheet size: 34 x 29 inches. Frame size: 43...
Foil
Traviata - Rodolphe - 2nd act - Drawing by Erté - 1948
By Erté
Located in Roma, IT
Traviata - Rodolphe - 2nd act is a modern artwork realized in 1948 century by Erté (Romain de Tirtoff). Mixed colored gouache on paper. Hand signed on the lower margin. Titled and numbered "9893" on the back. Includes frame Provenance : - Erté personal collection. - Serge Leeman collection. Erté is responsible for the costumes and sets for Les Mamelles de Tirésias. This opera bouffe in two acts by Francis Poulenc based on a play by Guillaume Apollinaire...
Gouache
Ermine Brocade, 1987
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Ermine Brocade is an expertly crafted, embossed serigraph on black paper with foil stamping and an image size of 27 x 25 inches. From the edition of 580, the art is numbered 24/300 a...
Paper, Screen
"Melisande" from the suite "At the Theater"
By Erté
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: (Romain De Tirtoff) Erte (Russian, 1892-1990) Title: Melisande Year: 1983 Medium: Color serigraph Paper: Arches Edition: Numbered 175/300 in pencil Image size: 22.5 ...
Screen
