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Exhibition “Erte – the genius of Art Deco: the return to St. Petersburg” in Saint Petersburg
Еhe Hermitage Museum opens exhibition “Erte — the genius of Art Deco: the return to Petersburg” on June 22. This is first in Russia exhibition of Erte, and it will feature 136 works from the private collection of Mike Estorick: watercolors and gouaches, ink drawings, several examples of prints and 2 sculptures. Why the name of Erte forever entered the history of fashion, and why it is considered the most exquisite artist of the twentieth century, read in our material.
The story of the birth Erte as an artist, perfect, and even cinematic. Roman Petrovich Tyrtov was born in 1892 in St. Petersburg the family of hereditary Admiral of the fleet. The boy began to draw at three, at seven he gave mother her portrait, which she showed to the tailor as a sketch. The outfit has received great reviews in the light of that inspired little Roman. The very rare case when calling born with man: “I knew I can’t live without drawing”. Father was against the boy’s passion, so there was a pseudonym “in order not to embarrass the family” from the first letters of name and surname, read in French. The boy longed to live in Paris, he was drawn to this city. Dream came true when he became 19 years. Roman Tyrtov began his career at Paul Poiret house, where he honed his style and gained unique to the painter the sight of a man of fashion. In his drawings the pose, decoration, fur, texture and fabric play a role not less important than the woman herself. He became the real star of the international level when got a contract with Harper’s: c 1915, the year of Erte drew for the magazine 250 covers and 2.5 thousand drawings.
A short, thin, exquisite and always obsessed with work — so contemporaries described Erte. He welcomed the guests wearing pajama trimmed with ermine, and according to his sketches dressed major film star of the early 20th century. His fashion sense was unique. In 1921 Erte first introduced dress with asymmetrical neckline – fashion is impossible to imagine without it. His model with the same lines for men and women launched the style “unisex”. He transformed sportswear, having made the beautiful convenience.
Erte drew sketches for the troupe of Anna Pavlova, the ballet of Monte Carlo, Chicago Opera, Paris Grand Opera, stars of the Parisian cabaret, music hall “Folies bergère” and finally, he was invited to Broadway. He was brave, this little Russian and surprised even worldly things. He invented the “living curtain” of their dancers with plumes, pearls and wide-open embroidered coaches, “General costumes” for a group of artists, “living pictures” — for one of them in the Revue “Ziegfeld Follies” took 10.5 km gold lamé. Jean-Louis Bory wrote: “Erte dresses volume – but this is no longer the volume of the human body; adorns the move – but it’s no longer gestures. It creates in space figures which are still ballet.”
Later in the 60s, Erte became interested in sculpture, putting in metal his sketches of the costumes, and the early graphic work. The new wave of interest to the artist was in 1965, when Erte was 73 years. London art dealer Eric Estorick, anticipating the willingness of the public to renew interest in the forgotten, it was Art Deco. They organized exhibition of Erte was a phenomenal success, all exhibits, 170 works were bought by the Metropolitan Museum of art. The artist began to replicate their drawings 1920-1930-ies in small batches in the technique of serigraphy. Subsequently Erte said his pedantic developments in printing have given an impetus for the development of printing and graphics. Replicating his famous series “the Alphabet” and “Numbers” was such a success that in recent years the artist received for his works annually at $100 million.
Roman Petrovich Tyrtov died in a Paris hospital at the age of 98 year, where he was urgently taken from the holidays in Mauritius. Urgently — only for doctors members of my family… Erte himself in advance designed and drew the sketches for the funeral ceremony from the invitations to the grave — all in the Art Deco style.
Exhibition “Erte — the genius of Art Deco: the return to St. Petersburg” will be held from 22 June to 18 September at the Hermitage. Read more hermitagemuseum.org
