"Femme de Luxe," 1990 Painted Bronze Scuplture by Erte

 Femme de Luxe, 1990; Bronze painted in green and gold with 3 chain back tassels and earring chain; Incised Erte signature; Numbered 206/500 with the stamp of the publisher Seven Arts Ltd., London and Dyansen Studio foundry stamp; Figure: 18 1/4" x 8 1/2" x 12 3/4".

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Romain de Tirtoff (1892–1990) was a Russian-born French artist and designer, known by the pseudonym Erté; that was derived from the French pronunciation of his initials. He was extremely accomplished in an array of fields including: fashion, jewellery, graphic arts, costume and set design for film, theatre, opera, and interior decor. His costumes, programme designs, and sets were featured in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1923, productions of the Folies Bergère, and George White's Scandals.

Front image of "Femme de Luxe"

Back image of "Femme de Luxe"

In 1915 Erté secured his first substantial contract with Harper's Bazaar magazine which was a significant turning point for the artist. Between 1915–1937 he designed over 200 covers for Harper's Bazaar, and his illustrations would also appear in other publications such as Illustrated London News, Cosmopolitan, Ladies' Home Journal, and Vogue. In 1925, Louis B. Mayer brought him to Hollywood to design sets and costumes for the silent film Paris. He continued working in Hollywood designing for such films as Ben-Hur, The Mystic, Time, The Comedian, and Dance Madness.

Back image of "Femme de Luxe" showing the three movable chain tassel cords.

Erté continued working throughout his entire life; designing revues, ballets, and operas. He had a major rejuvenation in his career during the 1960s with the Art Deco revival. Later he branched out into the realm of fine art with the production of limited edition prints, bronzes, and wearable art. His is found in the collections of several well-known museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); as well, a sizable collection of work by Erté can be found at Museum 1999 in Tokyo.

Image of incised Erte signature.

Quote from Erte regarding sculpture, from Erte Sclupture, 1986:

"For me, sculpting is a natural impulse; in my creative technique I conceive designs in three dimensions.... It is impossible for a fashion designer to produce a model of each design, so he must be content with a drawing. Any designer is thus restricted to two dimensions, and a fashion designer is also confined to the physical proportions of the human being, a beautiful but rather predictable form. Sculpting - working in three dimensions - has relieved me of these restrictions and has allowed me to exercise all of my creative impulses, including the use of color and the modeling of fantastic forms. The greatest thrill of any fashion designer is to see his drawing come to life - to rise from the flat page and be worked into costumes that transform the wearer into an object of beauty and desire. Only when a design is realized can its success be properly judged. I am filled with a sense of excitement whenever I see and touch a bronze from my Sculpture Collection, through which I have been able to see my drawings, thoughts, ideas, and dreams come to life as never before."

Image of the edition number, publisher, and foundry stamps.

This is an absolutely spectacular limited edition bronze by Erte. "Femme de Lux' stands over 18 inches tall and is beautifully painted in green with gold highlights. There are three movable tassel cords in the back of her dress and her earring is also a movable chain. This is a great example of high end Art Deco style and would make a great addition to any art collection!

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