377 - Riviera-No.7 (pour le numero de Janvier)

"Riviera-No.7 (pour le numero de Janvier)" is an original gouache painting on paper created by Erté. The artwork is signed 'Erté' upper right and is stamped with Erté's 'Composition originale' and signature stamped verso. The artwork ships framed in a classic gold-tone frame and has a framed size of 16 x 15.25".

Inscription on verso:
"N0 7. "RIVIERA" 'Cover for the SOUTHERN RESORTS number. The design is produced only by the blue lines and red flowers.'

Erté’s "Riviera – No. 7 (pour le numéro de Janvier)" is a masterful example of the artist’s ability to distill an entire world of elegance, travel, and modern sophistication into a deceptively simple composition. Executed as an original gouache on paper and signed by the artist in the upper right, the work belongs to the formative years of Erté’s celebrated career as an illustrator and designer. Though modest in scale, the composition encapsulates many of the qualities that would establish Romain de Tirtoff, known universally as Erté, as one of the defining visual architects of the Art Deco era.

"Riviera – No. 7 (pour le numéro de Janvier)" was conceived as a cover design for a special issue devoted to the fashionable resorts of Southern Europe. Erté himself described the concept succinctly: “Cover for the SOUTHERN RESORTS number. The design is produced only by the blue lines and red flowers.” This brief note reveals the remarkable economy and sophistication of the composition. Rather than relying on elaborate details or crowded imagery, Erté creates an evocative vision of the Riviera through a highly controlled arrangement of color, pattern, and negative space.

At the center of the composition stands an elegant woman clad in a flowing red floral-patterned dress, accompanied by a matching scarf and hat. The figure possesses the elongated proportions and graceful poise that became one of Erté’s most recognizable signatures. She appears simultaneously fashionable and timeless, embodying the cosmopolitan sophistication associated with the Mediterranean resort culture that captivated affluent travelers during the early twentieth century.

The brilliance of the design lies in its visual restraint. Against a field of rhythmic blue horizontal lines suggesting the gentle movement of sea and sky, Erté constructs an entire landscape through absence rather than addition. Within the blue pattern, the untouched paper emerges to reveal the silhouettes of two sailboats floating to the figure’s left and palm trees rising to her right. These forms are not drawn in a conventional sense; instead, they materialize through the strategic use of negative space. The result is both decorative and highly modern, demonstrating Erté’s sophisticated understanding of graphic design long before minimalism became a defining artistic strategy.

The contrast between the vibrant red floral motifs and the cool blue background creates a dynamic visual tension that animates the entire composition. The flowers seem to echo the leisurely elegance of a resort garden, while the sailboats and palm trees evoke the pleasures of travel, sunshine, and seaside leisure. Together, these elements transform the image into more than a fashion illustration. It becomes a distilled symbol of the Riviera itself, a place where fashion, luxury, and escape converge.

"Riviera – No. 7 (pour le numéro de Janvier)" stands as a quintessential expression of Erté’s genius for transforming fashion, travel, and decorative design into visual poetry. Elegant, economical, and unmistakably modern, it captures the optimism and sophistication of an era while showcasing the timeless artistry that secured Erté’s place among the most influential designers and illustrators of the twentieth century.