Eternal Paintings of Erte

Romain de Tirtoff, better known as Erte, had a long and illustrious career that transformed both the art fashion industry in which he produced fine original artwork for as well as the broader culture of the time of his widespread popularity.  Erte original artwork experienced two distinct periods of great cultural appreciation and popularity- the first during the 1920s with his introduction of his art deco styling that would later go on to define the generation, and later in the 1960s as he introduced art deco resurgences which modified his earlier aesthetic theme.

Erte first became famous in the 1920s and early 1930s for his work as a fashion designer.  He designed over 240 covers for Harper’s Bazaar during his career working for them.  Today, these covers remain highly collectible for fashion aficionados and art collectors alike. His covers reflect a high end fashion design eye and convey the art deco aesthetic for which Erte is credited for creating.  Some of Erte’s most famous covers include the June 1933 cover which portrays a tan, tall, thin woman lounging on the beach in a swimsuit, and his November 1920 cover which depicts a ballerina with a flamboyant skirt in red and yellow.

Erte’s most famous and best known piece of original artwork is his Symphony in Black.  Depicting a tall, slender woman painted in black, dressed in avant guard fashion and holding a dog by a leash, the Erte original painting has been reproduced in various paintings, sculptures, and prints since the time it was created.  This image remains so iconic due to its artistic value and sleek lines as well as its fashion forward attitude and its ability to capture the essence of the era in which it was created.  Today, serigraphs and prints of this image likely remain Erte’s most collectible artistic work.  A number of other Erte Paintings have also become quite collectible and famous due to their originality, skill, and ability to capture the ideology of a generation. 

While most Erte paintings focus of the female form, one of his more famous paintings The Wave emphasizes the organic water form of sweeping ocean waves.  While it does portray a woman, she is on the exterior or the round work and small in scale comparison to the waves themselves. Although this work does not focus on a woman and there are no clothes depicted, Erte’s eye for fashion still remains paramount.  The painting demonstrates the same art deco aesthetic as his fashion works and still has a very fashion forward quality about it, even without the use of garments.  Other Erte paintings, however, do focus on fashion as the key ingredient.  Famous works including A Queen, the Woman & the Devil, Aphrodite, Cirse, and Flames of Love all highlight the fashion design itself.

Equally famous to Erte painting are Erte bronze sculptures.  These original bronze sculptures most often depict a sensuous and elegant female form with beautiful draped clothes.  Erte’s eye for details and art deco fashion aesthetic are played a defining roll in his sculptress.  His original sculptures are often have a whimsical and flamboyant quality, echoing his fashion designers for the stage and his work for the top fashion magazines during his early career.  Erte’s most famous bronze sculptures include Le Belle du Nuit, an evening in 1921, an evening in 1922, The Mermaid, Venus, Femme De Luxe, Daydreams, and Moonlight. 

Leroy Neiman – Life of An Artist

Leroy Neiman is one of the most famous American artists of all time.  He is considered the first sports artists in the world.  His subject matter choices including capturing iconic sporting events and famous individuals along with his unique vibrantly colorful and semi-abstracted style have come to define his career.

Born in 1921 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Leroy Neiman went on to fight the Second World War, Neiman returned home and began studying art at the Art Institute of Chicago. He taught there for ten years early in his career.  In 1954, Neiman began his career with Playboy as a contributing artist which would give him his first taste of artistic notoriety.  It was not until 1960 when Leroy Neiman began traveling to document sporting events and leisure activities including the World Series, the Kentucky Derby, boxing championship, Formula One races, the Masters Golf tournament, Wimbledon, and many more that he really developed into an iconic painter.  He also began painting famous for painting entertainers and musicians, both living and dead, and his coverage of major events and individuals made his paintings and his artistic style famous.

In addition to painting sporting and leisure events, Neiman also paints scenic views and architecture, most famously including the Brooklyn Bridge in New York where he now calls home, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris where he spent time living previously.  Leroy Neiman paintings also depict animals and lifestyle scenes which most famously include casino and jazz scenes. 

Often considered to have an outrageous and flamboyant personality, Neiman’s personality has been polarizing throughout his career.  There is no doubt that his ability to promote himself and stand out has only added to his popularity and made him into an iconic artist.  His image and personality only have helped to foster his art career and made his work and image even more iconic than they might be otherwise.

Leroy Neiman originals have become so collectible for multiple reasons. First, his art captures a subject matter that most people find interesting and can relate to.  The sports world is endlessly popular around the world, and his role as the first artist to capture that has made his work a must have for many high end collectors and art museums. Since he paints live at many sporting events, millions of people around the world have been able to see the camera capture him working live.  An insight into that fascinating process which collectors are often excluded from has only added to his perceived accessibility and drastically increased the popularity of Neiman paintings.   Additionally, his semi-abstracted and colorful style stands out and instantly brands all of his work.  Leroy Neiman paintings have a style uniquely their own and his artistic signature has made him one of the most identifiable artists of the twentieth century.

Leroy Neiman is still living today and resides in New York City.  He is still producing original art, and he creates between three and six paintings per year.  Many say he is the most popular living artist in the United Sates.  Leroy Neiman paintings reside museums all over the world and is currently in the process of assembling his archives for the Smithsonian is Washington D.C.