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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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Gallery Blog

Erté’s Long Reach

“My art, which is my life, is the only language through which I speak with the world.”
-Erté

Through his work, Erté has become synonymous with timeless decadence and a bold avant garde modernist aesthetic. His creation embody, and for many people define Art Deco. Today, though, most people are familiar with his work only through photographs, fine art posters, and the variety of decorative collectibles he licensed during the art deco resurgence of the 1970s and 1980s. Which makes it all the more delightful to share three early original Harper’s Bazaar cover paintings by the master, recently acquired by the gallery.

"Las Parfums" cover artwork for Harper's Bazaar, October 1923
“Las Parfums” cover artwork for Harper’s Bazaar, October 1923

“Being an ardent lover of beauty, I discover harmony of color in the very source of everlasting beauty – in Nature, who is my only teacher.”
-Erté

Cover Gouache painting for Harper's Bazaar - December, 1932
Cover Gouache painting for Harper’s Bazaar – December, 1932

The only son of a Russian admiral, Erté’s designs have a distinct Russian influence to them. The flatness and richness of Russian Orthodox icons are apparent in the smoothness and decadence of his works. As a young boy in Russia, Erté was also drawn to his father’s collection of Persian miniatures and he carried their exotic, brightly patterned designs into his aesthetic. It was this marriage of the traditional with the exotic that Erté was able to create something entirely modern and eternal.

"Les Bulles de Savon" by Erté, 1918 Covert artwork for Harper's Bazaar
“Les Bulles de Savon” by Erté, 1918
Covert artwork for Harper’s Bazaar

“In the covers for Harper’s Bazar, I portray symbolic themes where life is interpreted by the language of my art; for, in my opinion, every event of life, every action of nature is explained satisfactorily by the emotions within me. I show this comparison between reality and the symbols my imagination creates in the form of color, for I believe that colors, taken from natures inner life, have as much meaning as music or the dance.”
-Erté

Along with his work creating covers and fashion plates for Harper’s Bazaar, Erté was a tireless costumer for the theater and early Hollywood. Whichever format he chose to work in – stage, fashion, illustration, decorative arts – Erté possessed a unity of vision which he carried across mediums and decades.

Erte White Studios Vera Ross Passing Show 1923
Erté costume on Vera Ross for “The Passing Show of 1923” Photo by White Studios

 

Erté’s unique vision was developed and nurtured under the tutelage of Paul Poiret, a visionary designer who freed women from the corset (let’s all take a moment and say a silent “thank you” to Poiret) and pioneered the sexy, slinky silhouette that Erté would take further and develop into the sleek fashions of the liberated woman and the wild costumes of sultry Roaring Twenties Broadway showgirls.

Mary Nolan in serpent costume by Erté
Mary Nolan in serpent costume by Erté

His styles and designs were so modern, in fact, that his work was still seen as cutting edge, stylish, and significant fifty years later when Erté and Art Deco were rediscovered. This resurgence of interest in Erté and the movement that he created led to him marketing new decorative collectibles and artworks in the classic yet still modern Art Deco style. Erté and his designs have become so much a part of our visual culture that it is easy to forget just how one of a kind and pioneering he really was.

“Look at me, I’m in another world-a dream world that invites oblivion. People take drugs to achieve such freedom from their daily cares. I’ve never taken drugs. I’ve never needed them. I achieve a high through work.”
-Erté

Erté Modeling His Own Fashions
Erté Modeling His Own Fashions

Erté’s Long Reach

Filed Under: Gallery Blog
Tagged With: art deco, Erté, fashion, jazz age, roaring 20s
Added to Gallery: April 13, 2015

 

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    About Grapefruit Moon Gallery

    Grapefruit Moon Gallery, based in Minneapolis MN, specializes in vintage pin up and original illustration art.  We are the proud home of the Bunny Yeager archives.

    Since 2003, Grapefruit Moon Gallery has been a leading dealer of exclusive original paintings by Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas, Earl Moran, Rolf Armstrong and Henry Clive, as well as vintage photographs, prints, and period decorative arts in ceramic and metal.

    All artworks featured are original, accurately represented, and guaranteed to be the work of the named artist.

    Interested buyers may view pieces by appointment and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. [Contact Us]

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