About the Work
"Bal Tabarin", is one of Erté’s simplest designs that dramatically portrays the elegance of his timeless work. The figure stands triumphantly atop a three-tier, star-shaped base, her head demurely turned away from the viewer, the polished bronze of her headdress in stark contrast to the satin black of her dress. And on the dress appears tiny gold leafed and highly polished bronze starlets that further enhance this sense of glamour and grace.Erté's inspiration for the unique and simple design of Bal Tabarin stems from his long association with Pierre Sandrini, the producer of the French Bal Tabarin. Introduced to each other in 1933, after Erté’s association with the Folies Bergere and George White came to an end, the collaboration between the designer and producer resulted in some of Erté’s most respected work.
As opposed to earlier designs typified by the exotic and extravagant, Erté’s work for the "Bal Tabarin" is characterized by both the refined and amusing designs he was to create in this period. The simplicity and elegance featured in the sculpture, Bal Tabarin, perfectly illustrates this point. As a limited edition bronze, the spirit of Erté's design is wonderfully captured with the long, sleek lines, flowing garments and simple, though subtly contrasting color tones. "Bal Tabarin" is a 19 x 10 x 9 - inch bronze sculpture.
About the Artist
Erté was born Romain de Tirtoff in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 23rd, 1892 and was raised amidst Russia's social elite. At the age of five he created an evening gown for his mother and managed to persuade the adults to craft it, they were astounded by the results. In 1912, Romain left St. Petersburg for Paris at the age of nineteen with the aim of becoming an artist. After working with Paul " Le Magnifique" Poiret on several theatrical productions Romain, still under the pseudonym of Erte, began to work more independently. He hand-crafted original costume and fashion designs for many of the era’s most renowned actresses, including Joan Crawford, Lillian Gish, Marion Davies, Anna Pavlova, Norma Shearer, and others. His masterpieces for the stage included extravagant production designs at venues such as New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the Casino de Paris, and the Paris Opera. In 1915 he began his long professional relationship with Harper's Bazaar and created 240 covers for the esteemed magazine. For 6 months in 1916, Erté simultaneously worked with Vogue as well. As a result of his highly publicized success, Erté would later be called the father of the ‘Art Deco’ movement.
