Born Remain de Tirtoff in imperial St. Petersburg,
Erte derived his pen name from the French pronunciation of his initials
"R.T." Over a long and distinguished career, he had a major influence
on the style and design of the 20th Century. In 1967 the Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased
and exhibited a collection of some 200 Erte gouaches. Shows in London followed,
bringing Erte even more recognition. His success at these exhibitions was
summarized by the noted London Sunday Times art critic John Russell (later
of the New York Times) who wrote, "If Michelangelo were to come back
from the dead he could hardly have greater or more eulogious publicity
than has been accorded to Erte." At age 75, Erte began to create limited edition
serigraphs based on his designs. This medium allowed a wider audience to
enjoy his work and helped satisfy popular demand for these images. International
success in this endeavor led him to expand his work to a variety of materials,
most notably bronze.
