Erté (1892-1990)

Russian designer and illustrator. He was active in France and the USA. An exponent of art deco, he designed sets and costumes for opera, theatre, and ballet, and his drawings were highly stylized and expressive, featuring elegant, curvilinear women.

Erté (the name was derived from the French pronunciation of his initials) went to Paris 1911 to work as a theatre and ballet set designer. From 1916 to 1926 he produced covers for the US fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar, and went to Hollywood 1925 to work as a designer on several films. He continued to design sets and costumes in Europe and the USA for many decades. His illustrations were influenced by 16th-century Persian and Indian miniatures.