La Pendule (Au Réveil de Passé), 1923

"La Pendule" from "Au Réveil de Passé" is a gouache on paper painting created by Erté in 1923. The artwork is signed 'Erté' lower right, and stamped with Erte's stamp and 'Composition originale' verso. Annotated in fountain pen verso 'Au Réveil de Passé No 667 "La Pendule" XI - 1923' Other annotations in pencil, not in Erté's hand. The artwork ships framed in a custom closed-corner Art Deco frame and has a framed size of 22.375 x 18.125".

Romain de Tirtoff, known internationally as Erté, was one of the defining figures of the Art Deco movement and a master of theatrical elegance, stylization, and fantasy. Created in 1923, “La Pendule” is an exceptional example of his early stage designs, originally conceived for the production ‘Au Réveil du Passé’ (The Awakening of the Past). Executed in gouache, the work reflects Erté’s refined draftsmanship and his philosophical approach to theatrical imagery, where narrative and visual metaphor merge seamlessly.

At the center of the composition stands an ornate French mantel clock rendered in a neoclassical style, complete with vertical columns and rococo flourishes in gold. The clock face reads 5:05, and beneath it appears the inscription “LE PRÉSENT” (The Present). Draped across the top is a soft, cloudlike cushion or theatrical curtain in pastel tones. Seated within its folds is a serene female figure with closed eyes, embodying the Present in a state of contemplation or sleep. Behind her stands a masked man in dramatic black attire, lifting a scroll marked “L’AVENIR” (The Future). Together, the figures create an allegorical tableau in which time becomes humanized and theatrical.

The design likely functioned as a curtain or set element for ‘Au Réveil du Passé,’ a 1923 production centered on memory, transformation, and spectacle. Erté was commissioned to create costumes and scenic devices that personified time and mythology. In “La Pendule,” he transforms a functional object into a symbolic stage prologue, setting the tone for a drama shaped by memory and anticipation.

The work demonstrates Erté’s ability to synthesize diverse influences, from French symbolism to Eastern ornament and architectural symmetry. Its delicate balance, vibrant accents, and stylized figures exemplify the hallmarks of Art Deco design. The metaphor of the clock as a stage for the Present and Future underscores Erté’s lifelong fascination with time as both theme and motif.

Original theatrical gouaches from the 1920s are rare and are represented in major museum collections worldwide. “La Pendule” stands as a complete and richly layered work that captures the elegance, imagination, and intellectual resonance of Erté’s early career, uniting architecture, allegory, and performance in a single refined composition.