Fall 2026 Fine Art Catalog Is Here
Three Women, 1911
Price on Request
Details
Medium: gouache on paper
Year: 1911
Sheet size: 18.75 x 13.5"
Image size: 18 x 13"
Framed size: 25.75 x 20.25"
Year: 1911
Sheet size: 18.75 x 13.5"
Image size: 18 x 13"
Framed size: 25.75 x 20.25"
About the Work
"Three Women" is a gouache on paper created by Erté in 1911. Erté's "Composition originale" stamp is present verso. The artwork ships framed in a custom closed-corner gold-tone frame and has a framed size of 25.75 x 20.25".
Executed in 1911, "Three Women" is a fascinating and highly significant early work by Erté (Romain de Tirtoff), created at a moment when the artist was beginning to formulate the visual language that would later make him one of the most influential figures of the Art Deco era. Long before his celebrated illustrations for "Harper’s Bazaar," his theatrical costume designs, and his internationally recognized decorative works, Erté was already exploring the themes that would define his career: elegance, fashion, theatricality, and the transformative power of style. As such, "Three Wome"n offers a rare glimpse into the origins of an artistic vision that would shape the look of modern glamour throughout the twentieth century.
The composition depicts three fashionably dressed women arranged in a carefully balanced grouping. Their elongated forms, elegant posture, and refined attire immediately recall the world of haute couture and high society that would become a recurring source of inspiration throughout Erté’s career. Even at this early stage, he demonstrates a remarkable sensitivity to silhouette and proportion. The figures are not simply portraits or fashion studies; they are embodiments of sophistication itself, transformed into idealized visions of modern femininity.
What makes the work particularly striking is its restrained and highly sophisticated use of color. Much of the composition is rendered in black and white, emphasizing line, form, and decorative rhythm. Against this monochromatic framework, Erté introduces delicate passages of pale blue, which appear across one woman's skirt and within the background. The effect is subtle yet powerful. The selective use of color guides the viewer’s eye through the composition while creating a dreamlike atmosphere that feels both decorative and modern. This interplay between monochrome elegance and carefully placed color accents would remain a hallmark of Erté’s mature work.
The figures themselves appear poised between reality and fantasy. Their fashionable attire reflects contemporary styles of the period, yet their exaggerated grace elevates them beyond everyday life. Erté was never interested in mere documentation. Instead, he sought to create an idealized world where beauty, style, and theatricality merged into a seamless whole. In "Three Women," one can already see the foundations of this philosophy taking shape. The women are presented less as individuals than as symbols of elegance, their garments and gestures becoming part of a larger decorative composition.
The influence of Art Nouveau is also evident throughout the work. The flowing contours, rhythmic arrangement of forms, and emphasis on decorative harmony reflect a movement that still held considerable influence in Europe during the early 1910s. Yet there is also a growing sense of simplification and stylization that points toward the emerging Art Deco aesthetic. The figures possess a streamlined elegance that anticipates the sleek sophistication for which Erté would later become famous. Viewed from this perspective, "Three Women" occupies an important position between two major artistic eras, capturing a moment of transition in both fashion and design history.
More than a century after its creation, "Three Women" remains a compelling expression of youthful brilliance and artistic vision. It captures a pivotal moment in Erté’s development, when the foundations of a career dedicated to beauty and design were first being established. Elegant, poised, and richly evocative, the work offers a rare opportunity to witness the emergence of one of the defining artistic voices of the twentieth century.
About the Artist
Three Women, 1911
Regular price
$26,850.00
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