North Beach Art Gallery

Early Life & Formation

Romain Petrovich de Tirtoff, better known as Erté, was born on November 23, 1892, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, into an aristocratic family. His father, Admiral Pyotr Ivanovich Tyrtov, hoped his son would follow in the naval tradition, but from childhood Erté’s destiny was clear. By age six he was already sketching costumes and staging imaginary performances, torn between a love of dance, theatre, and visual design.

In 1912, at just 19, he moved to Paris, the global capital of fashion and creativity. There, he reinvented himself under the pseudonym Erté, a phonetic rendering of his initials “R.T.” in French. This choice symbolized both independence from family expectations and the start of a legendary artistic journey.

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Rise in Fashion, Illustration & Stage Design

Erté’s Paris years began with an apprenticeship under Paul Poiret (1913–1914), a revolutionary fashion designer of the era. His distinctive style, marked by elongated forms, theatrical flair, and opulent ornament, soon caught wider attention.

By 1915, he signed an exclusive contract with Harper’s Bazaar, where over the next two decades he would create more than 240 covers and illustrations that defined Jazz Age elegance.

Beyond fashion illustration, Erté’s genius expanded to the stage. He designed costumes and sets for the Folies-Bergère, the Moulin Rouge, and productions across Europe and the United States. His designs adorned revues, ballets, operas, and theatrical works, dazzling audiences and performers alike.

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Mid-Career & Resurgence

The mid-20th century saw modernism eclipse Art Deco’s decorative glamour, and Erté’s style risked being overlooked. Yet he remained dedicated to refinement and beauty, sustaining a niche following.

In the 1960s and 1970s, a renewed fascination with Art Deco sparked Erté’s comeback. He revisited his earlier illustrations, transforming them into limited-edition prints, bronzes, and sculptural suites. His Alphabet Suite and Numerals Suite became icons of the revival, ensuring his place not just in history but in the contemporary art market.

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Later Years, Legacy & Signature Style

Erté’s greatest works emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, when he translated the elegant lines of his drawings into the permanence of bronze sculpture. Unlike paper and print, bronze offered longevity, a medium capable of carrying his vision across centuries. These sculptures ignited yet another resurgence of the Art Deco movement, extending its cultural relevance into the modern era.

Even in his later decades, Erté explored new media, from jewelry and medallions to objects d’art and lithographs. Yet across every form, his visual language endured: elongated figures, flowing fabrics, exotic costumes, and timeless elegance.

Erté passed away in Paris on April 21, 1990, at the remarkable age of 97. By then, thanks to his sculptures, the Art Deco revival, and the extraordinary collectability of his works, he had secured international recognition as one of the most enduring creative forces of the 20th century.

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Significance & Impact

• Art Deco Pioneer – Erté helped shape the movement’s visual vocabulary: luxury, symmetry, elegance, and intricate ornamentation.

• Cross-Disciplinary Influence – From fashion to theatre, illustration to sculpture, his reach spanned nearly every creative discipline.

• Enduring Aesthetic – Today, his works are exhibited, collected, and referenced globally, proving that Art Deco remains not just a historical style but a living source of inspiration.