Erte Art, The History and Influence of Erte
Erte Art to Lion and Unicorn Auction HouseThe creative imagination of Erté, attributed as being The Father of Art Deco, comes alive in the halls of Lion and Unicorn who acquired over 350 of his original works including jewelry, posters, prints, art deco posters, silkscreens, plates, Erte bronze sculpture, figurines and the well sought-after Courvoisier collection among other Erté art, all in the art deco style that South Florida enthusiastically embraced.Background and FamilyPrior to being crowned as the Father of Art Deco, Erté was born Romain de Tirtoff into an esteemed family in St. Petersburg, Russia in November of 1892. He was expected to follow in the footsteps of a long line of military aristocrats dating back to the 16th century, however it was his love and desire to create art that led him to move to Paris in 1912, much to his father’s dismay. It was due to this that Romain de Tirtoff changed his name using the French pronunciation of his initials to save his family from any embarrassment, thus Romain was reborn as Erté.What Influenced Erte?Having first created art at the age of 3, it was a fashion illustration at 5 years old that Erté’s mother brought to life that sealed his fate. Erté also recalls when, at the age of 7, a visit to Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera Sadko at the Mariinsky Theater with its artistic display of music, drama and its overall visual beauty that made an impactful impression. This introduction to the cultural life of St. Petersburg birthed a desire to explore the arts available in the city from performances to exhibitions.The significance of exploring his father’s extensive library of Indian and Persian illustrations, and later the reliefs on ancient Greek vases he extensively studied at the Hermitage Museum is what countless collectors and admirers will recognize in Erte art. But