Californie
Date1917
Artist
Erté
(Russian-born, French artist and designer, 1892–1990)
Illustration CitationOriginal costume design for Californie, for "Milliardaires Americaines" with Madame Bénédicte Rasimi at Thêatre Fémina, Paris, 1917. One of 8 from the series.
MediumGouache with ground-powdered bronze on thin board
Dimensionscomposition: 8 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (21.6 × 16.5 cm)
sheet: 10 5/8 × 7 1/2 in. (27 × 19.1 cm)
frame: 24 1/2 × 22 × 1 in. (62.2 × 55.9 × 2.5 cm)
sheet: 10 5/8 × 7 1/2 in. (27 × 19.1 cm)
frame: 24 1/2 × 22 × 1 in. (62.2 × 55.9 × 2.5 cm)
Credit LineAcquisition Fund, 2018
Object number2018-16
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextFluid outlines, precise drawing, and inventive patterns and colors are the hallmarks of this costume study by Erté, a leading artist of the Art Deco period. Born in Russia, Erté derived his name from the French pronunciation of the initials of his birth name: Romain De Tirtoff. His designs of sinuous women draped in the height of fashion helped define style for a generation.
