Skip to main content

Erté Figurative Paintings

Russian, 1892-1990

Born Romain de Tirtoff (1892–1990) in St. Petersburg, Russia, to an aristocratic family, the artist known as Erté — a pseudonym derived from the French pronunciation of his initials — was a Renaissance man of the art and design world. He worked in graphic arts, interior design, fashion, jewelry and set design for the stage and silver screen, becoming a leader of the Art Deco style.

Moving to Paris in 1912, Erté worked as a fashion designer under couturier Paul Poiret before securing a job with Harper’s Bazaar as a cover artist. Over 22 years, Erté created more than 240 magazine covers alongside his ongoing work in fashion design.

Extending his prolific career into theater sets, costumes, prints and lithographs, Erté became one of the most famous artists of the era. His style — a combination of the nature-inspired flourishes of Art Nouveau and bold, geometric linework — directly contributed to the birth of Art Deco, earning him the nickname “the Father of Art Deco.”

After a lull of creative production in the 1940s and 1950s, Erté reentered the public eye in the 1960s, when a renewed interest in Art Deco had taken shape.

Creating colorful lithographs, bold serigraphs (silk-screen prints) and bronze sculptures, he contributed to a resurgence of the style in France and beyond. This late-life acclaim for his art led to exhibitions in museums and galleries all over the world as well as his first published monograph in 1970. That same year he was awarded the title of Chevalier du Mérite Artistique et Cultural and in 1976 was named Officier des Arts et Lettres by the French government.

Today, Erté’s works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and LACMA in Los Angeles.

On 1stDibs, browse a collection of Erté art, including fine art prints, paintings and other works.

to
3
18
12
17
1
9
9
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
13
5
14
11
5
4
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
18
1
1
7
223
390
222
203
102
18
18
18
10
1
Artist: Erté
Untitled Fashion Design, 1920
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled (Fashion Design) was created for Harper's Bazar and appeared in the February, 1920 edition of the magazine. This is a gouache painting on tissue paper measuring approximately 10 x 6.5 inches and framed in a custom, closed-corner Art Deco...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Les Rois des Lègendes, Costume pour femme ésclave, 1919
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Les Rois des Lègendes, Costume pour femme ésclave from 1919 is a gouache painting on black paper, 10.75 x 9 inches, framed in a custom, closed-corner, Art Deco frame, 24 x 20 inches....
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Martha, Act I (Chicago Opera), 1925
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Martha, Act I (Chicago Opera) from 1925 is a gouache on paper measuring approximately 9 x 7 inches and framed in a custom, closed-corner frame. Signed recto 'Erté' mid-right and stam...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Troisemmè Dame, 1919
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Troisemmè Dame from 1919 is a gouache painting on paper, 12 x 9.5 inches, framed in a custom, closed-corner, Art Deco frame to 20.25 x 18 inches. Signed recto 'Erté' mid lower right ...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

La Pendule (Au Réveil de Passé), 1923
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
La Pendule from Au Réveil de Passé was created in 1923 and is a gouache on paper measuring approximately 15 x 10.75 inches and framed in a custom, closed-corner Art Deco...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Optimism and Pessimism, 1927 (Harper's Bazar Cover - May 1929)
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Optimism and Pessimism, created in 1927, was the cover design for Harper's Bazar in May 1929. This is a gouache painting on board, signed recto 'Erté' lower right in the image, and f...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

The Treasures of Indo-China, 1922
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Treasures of Indo-China, created in 1922, is a gouache on paper, 15 x 11.25 inches and framed in a custom, closed-corner Art Deco frame. Signed rec...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Demeter (Les Idoles, Folies Bergère), 1924
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Déméter from Les Idoles, Folies Bergère was created in 1924 and is a gouache on paper measuring approximately 14.75 x 10.5 inches. Framed in a custom, closed-corner Art Deco...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Le Roi Yvetot, 1919 (no. 227)
By Erté
Located in Greenwich, CT
Le Roi Yvetot (no. 227) from 1919 is a gouache painting on tissue paper mounted on board. The image size is 9.25 x 6 inches, framed in a gold-tone frame, 22.5 x 19 inches. Signed recto 'Erté' lower right, in the image and annotated verso, 'Les Rois des Lègendes, No 8, Le Roi Yvetot 227'. Erte name and 'Composition originale' stamps verso. Le Roi Yvetot is a design by Erte for the 1919 theater production of Les Rois des Lègendes. The King of Yvetot William Makepeace Thackeray: 1811 –1863 There was a king of Yvetot, Of whom renown hath little said, Who let all thoughts of glory go, And dawdled half his days a-bed; And every night, as night came round, By Jenny, with a nightcap crowned, Slept very sound: Sing ho, ho, ho! and he, he, he! That's the kind of king for me. And every day it came to pass, That four lusty meals made he; And, step by step, upon an ass, Rode abroad, his realms to see; And wherever he did stir, What think you was his escort, sir? Why, an old cur. Sing ho, ho, ho! and he, he, he! If e'er he went into excess, 'Twas from a somewhat lively thirst; But he who would his subjects bless, Odd's fish!—must wet his whistle first; And sofrom every cask they got, Our king did to himself allot, At least a pot. Sing ho, ho, ho! and he, he, he! To all the ladies of the land, A courteous king, and kind, was he; The reason why you'll understand, They named him Pater Patriae. Each year he called his fighting men, And marched a...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

MADELEINE (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

BEYLA (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

LA PRINCESSE LOINTAINE: LES FEMMES DE MILISSINDE
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Original on Gouache on paper. Hand signed on front; signed, titled, dated with dedication on verso. Stamped "Composition originale". Frame size 30.5 x 26.5 inches. Artwork is in e...
Category

1920s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Erté, "Costume pour le Raspoutine, " unique gouache, hand signed
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is a unique, original gouache on paper by Erte, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. It was created in 1957 as a costume design for a cabaret show and is from the private coll...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Erté, Paysan Garçon, unique gouache, hand signed
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
A unique, original gouache on paper by Erté, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. Erté was a vastly diverse artist who excelled in an array of fields including fashion, jewelry, graphic ...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Phi-Phi, rideau - Phidias - Premier acte fait pour les Bouffes-Parisiens
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is a unique, original gouache on paper by Erte, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. Erte was a vastly diverse artist who excelled in an array of fields including fashion, jew...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

1910's Art Deco Erte Gouache Painting Original Hand Signed Rare French Costume
By Erté
Located in Buffalo, NY
A rare original signed Art Deco gouache on paper by Erte (Romain de Tirtoff) . This stunning theatrical costume design is signed Erte at the lower right. The piece is 20 by 18 fram...
Category

1910s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Archival Paper, Pencil

Érte, "Les chatters, deuxieme version", unique gouache, hand signed
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
A unique, original gouache on paper by Érte, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. Érte was a vastly diverse artist who excelled in an array of fields including fashion, jewelry, graphic ...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Erté, Raspoutine, troisieme mannequin, unique gouache, hand signed
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
A unique, original gouache on paper by cabaret costume designer, Erté, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. Created in 1959 for the cabaret show, Folies Pigalle. From the private collect...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Related Items
Taxco, Mexico - 1930's Figurative Village Landscape
By Theodore Ernest Langguth
Located in Soquel, CA
A vintage watercolor capturing a daily scene in the Spanish colonial town of Taxco, Mexico by Theodore Ernest Langguth (German-American, 1861-1952). Titled, dated and signed lower ma...
Category

1930s American Impressionist Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache, Pencil

Art Deco Costume Design - Eva
By Georges Lepape
Located in Miami, FL
The paper in some of these photos looks overly textured due to the sharpness of the high-res digital camera. In person, with the human eye, the paper looks reasonably smooth with out blemishes. For this fashion illustration, Georges Lepape paints a stunning abstract pattern for the subject dress that is repeated in her hair. The work represents an early use of metallic paint, with silver metallic in the dress and bronze metallic in the blouse. Lepape's highly detailed drawing becomes more evident the closer you look. It's quite amazing how deftly he rendered facial feature on such a small scale. "Eva" 1918 Gouache, watercolor, and ink on paper Signed and dated, lower right: '1918' Inscribed, verso: "Costume for L'enfantement du mort, (miracle en pourpre, et or.). Devised by Marcel L'Herbier and performed at the Théatre Edouard VII and the Comédie des Champs-Elysées, 1919" Provenance: Ex-collection Lucien...
Category

1910s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Ink, Gouache, Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Art Deco Spanish Woman Fashion Illustration
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Elegant and glamorous fashion illustration from the 1920's, Original signed gouache painting on paper. Monogrammed V.S. lower right. Site: 10"x 7.75" Frame: 19.25"x 17"
Category

1920s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Life Magazine Art Deco Showgirls Cartoon
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). Showgirls Cartoon for Life Magazine, 1934. Ink, watercolor and gouache on heavy illustration paper, matting window measures 16.5 x 13 inches; sheet measures 19 x 15 inches; Matting panel measures 20 x 23 inches. Signed lower right. Very good condition with discoloration and toning in margins. Unframed. Provenance: Ethel Maud Mott Herman, artist (1883-1984), West Orange NJ. For two decades, she drew almost 600 cartoons for The New Yorker with female characters that commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony. In the mid-1920s, Harold Ross, the founder of a new magazine called The New Yorker, was looking for cartoonists who could create sardonic, highbrow illustrations accompanied by witty captions that would function as social critiques. He found that talent in Barbara Shermund. For about two decades, until the 1940s, Shermund helped Ross and his first art editor, Rea Irvin, realize their vision by contributing almost 600 cartoons and sassy captions with a fresh, feminist voice. Her cartoons commented on life with wit, intelligence and irony, using female characters who critiqued the patriarchy and celebrated speakeasies, cafes, spunky women and leisure. They spoke directly to flapper women of the era who defied convention with a new sense of political, social and economic independence. “Shermund’s women spoke their minds about sex, marriage and society; smoked cigarettes and drank; and poked fun at everything in an era when it was not common to see young women doing so,” Caitlin A. McGurk wrote in 2020 for the Art Students League. In one Shermund cartoon, published in The New Yorker in 1928, two forlorn women sit and chat on couches. “Yeah,” one says, “I guess the best thing to do is to just get married and forget about love.” “While for many, the idea of a New Yorker cartoon conjures a highbrow, dry non sequitur — often more alienating than familiar — Shermund’s cartoons are the antithesis,” wrote McGurk, who is an associate curator and assistant professor at Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. “They are about human nature, relationships, youth and age.” (McGurk is writing a book about Shermund. And yet by the 1940s and ’50s, as America’s postwar focus shifted to domestic life, Shermund’s feminist voice and cool critique of society fell out of vogue. Her last cartoon appeared in The New Yorker in 1944, and much of her life and career after that remains unclear. No major newspaper wrote about her death in 1978 — The New York Times was on strike then, along with The Daily News and The New York Post — and her ashes sat in a New Jersey funeral home...
Category

1930s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Ink, Gouache

Un Amour Rouge et Bleu
By Sylvain Legrand
Located in Brecon, Powys
Sylvain a well regarded and established artist was born in 1953 in France. He has a representational style tinged with realism combining sensualism, mysticism and a natural harmony of colours. He established an art school in the South of France which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1983. In 1984 Sylvain won the Grand Prix of Societé des Bains de Mer (SBM) Art Gouache paint on Canson paper painted 26 April 1999 Size of Picture 70 cm x 42 cm Size of Frame (Intl decorated pallet wood...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Handmade Paper

Mayan, Large 20th Century Watercolor, Viktor Schreckengost
By Viktor Schreckengost
Located in Beachwood, OH
Viktor Schreckengost (American, 1906-2008) Mayan Watercolor heightened with gouache over pencil on paper Signed lower right 39 x 29 inches 45.5 x 35.5 inches, framed Registered with The Viktor Schreckengost foundation, stock no. 6891 The son of a commercial potter in Sebring, Ohio, Viktor Schreckengost learned the craft of sculpting in clay from his father. In the mid-1920s, he enrolled at the Cleveland School of Art (now the Cleveland Institute of Art, or CIA) to study cartoon making, but after seeing an exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art he changed his focus to ceramics. Upon graduation in 1929, he studied ceramics in Vienna, Austria, where he began to build a reputation, not only for his art, but also as a jazz saxophonist. A year later, at the age of 25, he became the youngest faculty member at the CIA. In 1931, Schreckengost won the first of several awards for excellence in ceramics at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and his works were shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, and elsewhere. By the mid-1930s, Schreckengost had begun to pursue his interest in industrial design. For American Limoges...
Category

20th Century Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache

MADELEINE (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

The biggest house in town - Figurative Gouache Painting, Landscape, Architecture
By Piotr Fąfrowicz
Located in Warsaw, PL
PIOTR FĄFROWICZ (born in 1958). He studied art history at the Catholic University of Lublin. He deals with painting and graphic design. Winner of numerous awards for illustrations, i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Other Art Style Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Gouache

Grocery Line, Saturday Evening Post Cover, 1948
By Stevan Dohanos
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, November 13, 1948 The Post described, “Artist Stevan Dohanos felt like a baseball coach who had everything he needed excep...
Category

1940s Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Board, Laid Paper

Mid Century "Driver with Hard Hat" Gouache and Oil Pastel Figurative 1960s SF
By Gloria Dudfield
Located in Arp, TX
Gloria Dudfield Driver with Hard Hat 1960s Gouache and Oil Pastel on Paper 27"x36" unframed $700 *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expec...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Paper, Gouache

BEYLA (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Futurist Vision - Mid-Century New York Skyline - Industrial Progress
Located in Miami, FL
Rarely do you come across a work of art that is vastly different than just about anything you see. This work is undeniably brilliant and a sheer pleasure to behold. Alexander Leydenfrost...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Charcoal, Graphite, Board

Previously Available Items
UNTITLED (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.75 x 7.75 inches. ...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

MADELEINE (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

GRETA (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.75 x 7.75 i...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

CLAUDINE LILIANE (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

GERMAINE (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

UNTITLED (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.75 x 7.75 inches. ...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

GINETTE (ORIGINAL GOUCHE)
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...
Category

1950s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

LA PRINCESSE LOINTAINE: LES FEMMES DE MILISSINDE
By Erté
Located in Aventura, FL
Original gouache on paper. Hand signed on front; signed, titled, dated and dedicated on verso. Stamped "Composition originale". Sheet size 15 x 11 inches. Frame size 30.5 x 26.5...
Category

1920s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

1910's Art Deco Erte Gouache Painting Original Hand Signed Rare French Nude
By Erté
Located in Buffalo, NY
A rare original signed Art Deco gouache on paper by Erte (Romain de Tirtoff) . This stunning nude in a costume design is signed Erte. The piece is 19 by 17 framed. It comes in a s...
Category

1910s Art Deco Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Archival Paper, Pencil

Deux Oiseaux
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is a unique, original gouache on paper by Erte, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. This piece was created in 1955 as a costume design for a cabaret show, Narcisse. It is fro...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Deux Oiseaux
Deux Oiseaux
H 21.75 in W 17.75 in
Erté, "Deuxième porteuse d'oiseaux", unique gouache, hand signed
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is a unique, original gouache on paper created in 1958 by Erté, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. Erté was a vastly diverse artist who excelled in an array of fields includ...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Erté, "Porteuse de fruits", unique gouache, hand signed
By Erté
Located in Chatsworth, CA
A unique, original gouache on paper, created in 1958 by Erté, also known as Romain de Tirtoff. Erté was a vastly diverse artist who excelled in an array of fields including fashion, ...
Category

1950s Modern Erté Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Erté figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Erté figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Erté in gouache, paint, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Art Deco style. Not every interior allows for large Erté figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Sakti Burman, K.G. Subramanyan, and Badri Narayan. Erté figurative paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,950 and tops out at $40,000, while the average work can sell for $4,000.

Recently Viewed

View All