In Adoration of Woman

IN ADORATION OF WOMAN
IN ADOR ATION OF WOMAN
A collection of bronze sculpture, cast in the lost wax method,
with patination, gold leaf accents and polished embellishments.
erté in hollywood with a costume he designed for the ballet of
pearls scene in the mgm movie paris (which was never made). mgm
later used these costumes in the hollywood revue of 1929, the first all
talking, singing and dancing movie musical.
erté in hollywood, 1925
f
Jenkintown Press
P h i l a d e l p h i a , P e n n s y lva n i a
© 2004 chalk & vermilion fine arts and sevenarts
erté in paris, 1914
erté in matador costume of his own design,
for
a 1924
fancy
dress
ball.
studio
sevres.
for
a fancy
dress
ball.
in in
hishis
studio
in in
sevres.
In Adoration of Woman
“I am filled with a sense of excitement
he word “adoration”
In his career, Erté progressed from his first position
gouache painting, is self explanatory in its title, evoking the
whenever I see and touch a bronze from
is one to be chosen carefully. In terms of
as assistant in the fashion house of Poiret, to full-fledged
undeniable power of sisterhood. Motherhood, another whose
my sculpture collection, through which I
love, it can mean esteem, high regard,
fashion designer, theatrical and film costume and
title speaks for itself, is based on a costume design for “Les
respect, admiration, but then can veer
set designer, fashion illustrator, and a designer of the
Idoles” at the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt in Paris. Others are
into the slightly dangerous realm of
accoutrements of fine living, such as furniture, perfume
based on gouache paintings Erté created over the years.
adulation or worship, idolization or glorification. Although
bottles, home furnishings, and much more. After a 1967
Willow Tree, epitomizing poise and grace. Helen of Troy
adoration of women takes on different forms in different
show of his original works in New York City, all of which
speaks of the power of beauty. Cornucopia is a design ahead
cultures and societies, in its purest sense it takes the
were bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Erté
of its time in which Erté cleverly morphs the traditional
most noble characteristics we admire and strive for, and
began to think about producing limited edition graphics,
concept of the cornucopia as a fertility symbol to that of
holds them up as shining examples of what women can
which he did and which were an immediate success. Soon
women’s freedom to accumulate and manage money and
embody and achieve, individually and collectively.
thereafter, as his collectors clamored for the graphic prints,
wealth. Butterfly Lady, strikes a pose that indicates no more
Erté was a fervent admirer of women—their
an idea began to form that perhaps he should expand his
and no less than complete self confidence and assuredness
beauty, elegance, warmth, capacity for love,
vision to the medium of sculpture. This was a natural avenue
(with an undeniable fashion sense to boot). Alphabet Lady,
charisma, and sincerity. His designs portray his
to pursue, as Erté’s two-dimensional work on paper was
the woman of letters, sports Erté’s initials in the pedestal
idealization of a woman—graceful, strong, with
always designated for three-dimensional application. The
and the letters of the alphabet in her cloak, symbolizing the
an easy charm and statuesque bearing. His love
idea of figurative bronzes was thrilling to Erté, who at the
power of education and learning.
for fashion and theater design and his assignments
time was entering his nineties, bringing to life his favorite
From his birth in St. Petersburg, through an exciting life
for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and theatrical
theater, costume, and graphic designs. “I am filled with a
in the worlds of fashion, theater, and art, Erté led a
productions in such revues as the Folies Bergère and
sense of excitement whenever I see and touch a bronze from
life most of us can only dream about. Yet through
the Ziegfeld Follies led to a lifetime of trend-setting
my sculpture collection,” he said, “through which I have
it all, he remained a stellar example of that ideal
work that portrayed the many facets of women;
been able to see my drawing, thoughts, ideas, and dreams
man, a true gentleman. Well read, well traveled,
as dancers, lovers, fashion icons, mothers, sisters,
come to life as never before.”
have been able to see my drawings, thoughts,
ideas and dreams come to life as never before”
—Ert é
hostesses, goddesses—just some of the roles that
2
the fullest, took great satisfac-
women assume in their lives. But principal in his mind and
sculpture artworks epitomizes some of the roles or
present in all his works was the characteristic of elegance.
characteristics that women naturally and elegantly
continually delight-
“When I started out on my fashion career, I believed that
assume; each piece also has a history of origin
ed and enchanted
a woman’s three graces were beauty, charm, and elegance.
from Erté’s earlier work. Golden Fleece, whose
us for almost 90
Of the three, I think, elegance is paramount. Elegance
regal posture indicates strength, is based on a
years. Through his
is an innate quality, it cannot be acquired. A woman of
costume design for a Folies-Bergère scene of the
art, such as the
same name. Printemps (the French word for
bronze sculpture in
appearance, her carriage and movements, her way
“spring”), embodies the romantic mood of
the In Adoration of
of speaking and a thousand other details. Chic
that season, and was also a costume design
Woman collection, the
is elegance within a context of what is currently
for a production at the Folies-Bergère
humble background can be elegant by virtue of her
front cover: Sisters, Sisterhood, 19½ x 18 x 9 inches
The In Adoration of Woman collection of bronze
and well liked, he lived his life to
fashionable…a woman be elegant even if she is dressed in
entitled “Les Rois des legends.” Sisters,
yesterday’s fashions, or in a highly personal style.”
(shown on front cover) inspired by a 1921
tion in his work, and
enchantment lives on.
3
4
Helen of Troy, Beauty, 21¼ x 8¼ x 8¼ inches
Cornucopia, Achievement, 19¾ x 18 x 8 inches
5
6
Printemps (spring), Romance, 17½ x 18¾ x 9¼ inches
7
8
Alphabet Lady, Knowledge, 19 x 10 x 7½ inches
Willow Tree, Elegance, 24¾ x 12 x 5½ inches
8
10
Butterfly Lady, Grace, 22 x 7½ x 7½ inches
Motherhood, Nurturing, 19 x 8¼ x 7¼ inches
11
Selected Chronology
1892
1913
Born: Romain de Tirtoff, St. Petersburg, Russia.
1915
Begins 22 years with Harper’s Bazaar, with first cover illustration
published in January issue.
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1925
Begins 11 years with Folies-Bergère as main set and costume designer.
First important commission for leading Paris couturier Paul Poiret.
Creates costumes for dancer/spy Mata Hari.
Designs for opera diva Ganna Walska.
Designs for prima ballerina A. Pavlova.
Costumes/sets for G. White’s Scandals.
Costumes/sets for Ziegfeld Follies, New York City
Costumes/sets in Hollywood for mgm, Cecil B. DeMille and
William R. Hearst.
1933
1945
Designs for the Bal Tabarin, Paris.
1964
1966
1967
Costumes/sets, World’s Fair, New York City
Costumes/sets for Rossini’s Barber of Seville, French tv, the Lido
and Bal Tabarin.
Featured in Les Années 25, Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris.
nyc exhibition of 170 gouaches, Grosvenor Gallery, purchased by
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
1968 First lithographs, The Numerals.
1970 Chevalier du Mérite, Artistique et Culturel awarded by France.
1974 First serigraphs introduced.
1976 “Officer of Arts and Letters,” France.
1978 Costumes/sets for Strauss‚ Der Rosenkavalier, Gyndebourne Opera.
1979 Erté — Or a Magician in the 20th Century, French tv. Smithsonian
Institution three-year traveling retrospectives.
1980
1985
1989
1990
First sculptures introduced. Erté Retrospective.
Awarded France’s “Legion of Honor”.
Costume/set designs for d.c.’s Kennedy Center Stardust and 1990
Easter Show, Radio City Music Hall, New York City
Introduces 50 new sculptures and 50 new serigraphs, all appearing
in Erté, The Last Works book published by Dutton.
Erté died on April ,  in Paris.
1993 Exhibit at the Grosvenor Gallery, London
1996 “The Erté of Excellence Award” created by the fashion industry and
awarded to honor the individual having had the greatest impact on
the nation’s fashion industry each year.
2001 Retrospective held at the Museo del Corso in Rome, Italy, entitled
“Fascino e Seduzione Deco” (Art Deco Charm and Seduction).
2003 Original gouache paintings of The Alphabet Suite exhibited at the
Centre Pompidou, Paris, France.
Original costume designs exhibited at the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art, “Erté—Opera and Ballets Russe.”
2004 Erté, original gouache paintings and collages exhibited at the Robert
Sandelson Gallery, London, England.
Erté—Back to Russia, paintings, prints and sculpture exhibited at Gallery
Donde, Moscow, Russia.
Estée Lauder cosmetics introduces a line of powder compacts,
featuring the twelve Erté Zodiac images.
12
Golden Fleece, Strength, 21 x 10½ x 4½ inches
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