Romain de Tirtoff

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Pearls and Diamonds

Romain de Tirtoff (pseudonym Erté, a French pronunciation of initials R.T.) (November 23, 1892 – April 21, 1990) was a French artist and designer. Tirtoff was born as Roman Petrovich Tyrtov (Роман Петрович Тыртов) in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire in a very distinguished family with roots traced back to 1548. His father Pyotr Ivanovich Tyrtov was a Fleet Admiral. In 1910-1912 Romain gradually moved to Paris to pursue a career as a designer. This decision was made over strong objections of his father, who wanted Romain to continue a family tradition and to become a marine officer. Romain assumed the pseudonym to avoid disgracing the family. In 1915 he got his first significant contract with Harper's Bazaar magazine. He was also a designer of costumes and stage sets.

Erté is perhaps most famous for his elegant fashion designs which capture the art deco period in which he worked. His delicate figures and sophisticated, glamorous designs are instantly recognisable, and his ideas and art influence fashion into the 21st century. His fashions were featured in the Ziegfeld Follies and the Folies Bergère.

By far his best known image is 'Symphony in Black', depicting a tall, slender woman draped in black holding a thin black dog. This influential image has been reproduced and copied countless times.

[edit] Quotations

"A resourceful woman who is almost downright plain can achieve the reputation of a beauty simply by announcing to everybody she meets that she is one."

"Look at me, I'm in another world - a dream world that invites oblivion. People take drugs to achieve such freedom from their daily cares. I've never taken drugs. I've never needed them. I achieve a high through work."