Erté’s Timeless Art Deco Designs

Romain de Tirtoff was told early in his career that he lacked talent for fashion design and was fired. Fortunately, he didn’t let that stop him, and over the next 80 years, the renowned Russian-born artist, better known as Erté, beguiled the world with his brilliance.

Dubbed the “Father of Art Deco,” Erté’s costume and fashion designs shaped that groundbreaking movement. They left an indelible mark on the visual aesthetics of the 20th century that still inspires today.

Whether it’s his glamorous gouaches of beautiful women draped in sumptuous attire, his sparkling jewelry, his sophisticated bronze sculptures, or a myriad of other designs, Erté also left a legacy for captivated collectors and Art Deco enthusiasts, who avidly seek his pieces.

Romain de Tirtoff was born into an esteemed family in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 23, 1892. He was expected to join the long line of military aristocrats dating back to the 16th century.

However, according to an online biography at artincontext.org, he developed an interest in art at age five and drew his first fashion sketch at age six, which his mother took to her dressmaker to create. When the results amazed everyone, his destiny was sealed.

Erté’s distinctive style, characterized by elongated figures, geometric patterns, sleek lines, vibrant colors, and ornate details, was shaped by various things from his youth. The colorful costumes and sets for the Russian folktale opera Sadko, which he saw when he was seven, made a lasting impression, as did a trip to the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900.

He was also significantly influenced by the Indian and Persian illustrations he discovered in books in his father’s library and the reliefs on the ancient Greek vases he studied at the Hermitage Museum.

Erté’s desire to create art motivated him to move to Paris at 19 in 1912, but he got off to a rocky start. His first job as a draftsman at a small fashion house lasted only a month because his fashion sketches were viewed as too eccentric. He was dismissed, with the parting advice to abandon costume design.

That firing was fortuitous. Erté’s star rose after he sent the rejected drawings to French couturier Paul Poiret. Known as “The King of Fashion,” Poiret was famous for his innovative and theatrical approach to clothing. Recognizing Erté’s potential, Poiret gave him a job designing for his fashion house and theatrical productions. He also gave him his pseudonym, the French pronunciation of his initials.

Working for Poiret significantly boosted Erté’s career, offering him a platform to develop his signature Art Deco style and showcase his talent for designing extravagant costumes and sets for ballets, films, and operas.

When Poiret closed his shop at the start of World War I in 1914, Erté sent some illustrations to Harper’s Bazaar, one of the premier American fashion magazines. He was offered an exclusive contract in 1915, beginning a 22-year collaboration that changed the trajectory of fashion illustration.

Creating over 240 covers, Erté’s forward-thinking couture designs, with their sleek lines, bold color palettes, and intricate patterns, crafted the magazine’s visual identity and put it at the forefront of creative innovation.

Erté’s illustrations of sinuous women wearing gowns encrusted with pearls and gemstones, velvet evening wraps with gold embroidery and Asian sleeves, and draped in beads and furs inspired fashion designers, who translated his visions from page to fabric.

His Harper’s work led to opportunities on Broadway, including designing costumes, programs, and sets for the Ziegfeld Follies in 1923 and for Paris’ renowned cabaret music hall, Folies Bergère, where Josephine Baker performed. He also worked for Louis B. Mayer in Hollywood, designing costumes and sets for Ben-Hur and other movies.

Art Deco fell out of favor with the start of World War II in 1939, but the design movement’s revival, beginning in the 1960s and continuing today, brought new appreciation for Erté’s work and boosted his career to greater heights.

At his first solo exhibition in 1967 in New York at age 75, one of the highlights unveiled for the first time was a project he had worked on since 1927, the Alphabet Suite. The collection of 26 gouache artworks delicately depicts the letters of the alphabet as female figures.

The exhibition was a phenomenal success, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased the entire collection of 170 pieces, which was unprecedented for a living artist. His work is also in other museums worldwide.

Buoyed by that triumph, Erté reissued the acclaimed Alphabet series and some of his earlier series as limited-edition lithographs and serigraphs to make his work more accessible to a broader audience.

At age 86, Erté designed a line of fine jewelry with theatrical motifs he called “Art to Wear.“ In 1980, at age 87, he took up sculpting, creating bronze figures based on his elegant and elaborate costume designs from the 1920s and 1930s.

With a prolific career that spanned most of the 20th century and included over 22,000 designs, Erté left behind a diverse range of timeless pieces that collectors eagerly pursue. His work can be found at art galleries, auctions, and online marketplaces, including 1stDibs, Charish, eBay, and Etsy.

A check of sold listings on eBay and LiveAuctioneers.com shows that over the last few years, though some pieces have sold for tens of thousands of dollars, others are more affordable, making it easy for a beginning collector to acquire his work. Prices are affected by factors like the medium, size, rarity, condition, and market demand.

Among Erté’s most valuable and prized works are his bronze sculptures and limited-edition lithographs and serigraphs, like his iconic Alphabet and Numbers series. While some pieces have sold for $10,000 and upward, others have fetched under $500. Likewise, though many of his jewelry pieces have sold between $1,000 and $10,000, others have been bought for $500 or less.

Some of the most affordable collectibles are Erté’s original Harper’s Bazaar magazine covers from 1915 to 1936. Many issues have sold between $35 and $300 in the past few years. His smaller decorative objects, such as cognac bottles, figural champagne flutes, and hand mirrors, have recently sold for between $100 and $500 and are another good option for collectors.

There is also a market for limited-edition reproduction pieces from the Franklin Mint's “House of Erté” line produced in the 1990s. This line includes mostly porcelain figurines and plates based on his work. Tableware company Mikasa also created a line of collector plates featuring some of Erté’s most famous designs. These items can sell between $5 and $500.

Since many of Erté’s prints and sculptures were produced in limited quantities, increasing their rarity and potential value, collectors should always verify the authenticity and edition number when considering a purchase. For sculptures, check for his signature and the manufacturer’s foundry mark.

Erté worked until his death, designing costumes and sets for a 1990 revival of the Broadway show Stardust. He died shortly after, on April 21, at age 97. True to form, he designed his funeral invitations and coffin ahead of time, naturally in his beloved Art Deco style.

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