Art Deco

A talented and original Ukrainian artist, a bright and influential representative of avant-garde painting and scenography. Her career was marked by constant innovative searches, as a result of which she made a significant contribution to the development of both Ukrainian and Russian painting avant-garde, decorative and applied art and scenography.The studio school that Alexandra Alexandrovna opened in Kyiv laid the foundations for new methods of teaching fine art. Ekster participated in most of the exhibitions held until 1925 in the capitals of Russia and Ukraine, exhibited her works in Germany, France and the USA.She was one of the first artists to receive lifetime recognition, as evidenced by numerous articles in periodicals of various countries, in particular, an illustrated monograph written in four languages by J. Tugendhold, a famous art critic and influential connoisseur of new French art (1922, Berlin).

An outstanding Georgian painter, a monumentalist, graphic artist, illustrator, talented teacher, professor of the Academy of Arts of Georgia. He worked in the styles of Post-impressionism, Art Nouveau, Symbolism and Primitivism.He was born in a fairly well-to-do family of a railway employee. The boy's mother soon began to notice his great ability to draw. Parents bought Lado a bicycle, and he traveled 20 km to Mtskheta to paint ancient churches there.The painter that lived in Paris a long time and became famous in Europe and America, became the embodiment of innovative trends in painting in his country. He was the first professional artist to depart from the gloomy palette characteristic of the Georgian fine arts. He worked in different modern styles, avoiding only non-figurative styles and is considered the continuer of the ideas of great Pirosmani. Lado Gudiashvili was a member of various creative communities, was awarded high state ranks and prizes (People's Artist, Hero of Labor, etc.)The creativity of Lado Gudiashvili differs in an incredible variety of genre and technique of performance: he wrote with oil, watercolor, gouache, worked in a mixed technique, performed wall painting, created graphic works of art. In the artist's heritage, there are portraits and landscapes, historical paintings and allegorical, mythological and even political works. The nature of the canvas is either epic, or philosophical, or lyrical. Probably, therefore, the master himself refrained from assessing his style, which, nevertheless, is easily recognized, because the motives of his work, especially the early ones, are almost exclusively Georgian.In the capital of Georgia, the house-museum of Gudiashvili was opened, one of the squares of Tbilisi was named after him. The artist's paintings continue to excite the viewer and remain in demand. For example, in 2013, the Sotheby's house sold painting "Temptation" for 1.2 million dollars.

An American artist and designer, the most famous representative of Art Nouveau in the United States.He was the eldest son of Harriet and Charles Lewis Tiffany, a famous jeweler, the founder of his own company. He grew up surrounded by beautiful exquisite things and luxury, but was not interested in the family business. Attended school at the Military Academy of Pennsylvania.Louis Comfort Tiffany was famous for the invention of a special stained glass technique, which consists of various pieces of colored glass joined together by means of copper foil. This method, as well as new types of glass created by him, revolutionized the decorative art of the late nineteenth century. The technique of Tiffany has become the most common for the creation of stained glass, lampshades and other works of decorative and applied art from colored glass all over the world. The style of modern, in which the designer worked, in the US and other countries of America, is called "Tiffany", after the name of its discoverer.The works of Louis Tiffany to this day are very popular and of great value for collectors of works of Art Nouveau.

An outstanding Ukrainian artist, a painter and graphic artist who worked in Russia and France, a member of “The World of Art”, one of the first women who simultaneously entered the history of painting of Ukraine, Russia and France. Known for the portraits of outstanding people of her time, paintings on rural themes and monumental paintings.Zinaida was born into a family of prominent masters. Nikolai Benois, the grandfather of her mother, was a famous architect, her father Eugene Lansere, who died early, was a famous sculptor, her uncle, A. Benois, was an outstanding contemporary artist. After the death of the head of the family in 1886, the mother and six of her children moved to St. Petersburg, but they spent each summer at Neskuchnoye and Veseloye estates. The family visited the Hermitage and theaters, did not miss a single exhibition. All relatives were engaged in creative work and encouraged the studies of Zina, who had been painting since childhood. The choice of the portrait genre was prompted by communication with numerous relatives - bright masters (uncle A. Benois, brothers Lansere, etc.) and guests, such as K. Somov, A. Akhmatova, J. Annenkov. Later, in Paris, she painted S. Prokofiev, artist S. Ivanov, and others.Due to the tragically developing life (and political) circumstances, and also because of her very modestly shy and unpractical nature, Z. E. Serebryakova received deserved recognition only in the 1960s, when a number of exhibitions successfully took place in several cities of Russia. In France, the artist was rarely exhibited, but her magnificent portraits were popular. In the homeland of the artist in the village of Neskuchnoye near Kharkov, there are "Neskuchnoye plein-airs" of her name, and there is The Serebryakova’s Foundation created by her children Alexander and Catherine in France. Critics and connoisseurs characterized Serebryakova as an outstanding master of "European significance", but the voice of the artist, whose art was almost realistic, drowned in the noise around abstract arts and other new delights. In art history, however, there are terms "serebryakova’s painting" and " serebryakova’s portrait”. The canvases of the artist adorn the collections of the best museums of Europe, Ukraine and Russia.

An outstanding Mexican painter, muralist, as well as a left-wing politician. Born in Guanajuato (northwest of Mexico), in a notable and well-to-do Spanish family. His mother was a Jew from among the conversion (converted to Catholicism). His twin Diego died at the age of two. The boy started drawing when he was three years old; his parents actively encouraged him. The significant periods of his career were in France and the United States. He was the most influential Mexican artist of the 20th century. His art served as the basis for the concept of public art in America, becoming a significant part of the Federal Program for the Development of National Art in the 1930s and 1940s. D. Rivera is widely known in the world as a monumental artist and as the husband of artist Frida Kahlo. Although his main legacy, no doubt, are murals there was a fairly long and noticeable cubist period in his creative career, when about 200 canvases were created.

The most famous Belgian artist of the twentieth century, known for his mysterious and inexplicable canvases, made in an original surreal style. At the age of fourteen, Rene Magritte suffered a severe mental trauma - the suicide of his mother, which left an imprint on his entire work. Of great importance to the artist was his friendship with European Surrealists, in particular with Andre Breton and poet Edward James, who was a close friend and patron of Magritte.The artist was calm and undemanding. While his fellow Surrealists flaunted their lives, shocking the audience and attracting their attention, Magritte lived in solitude, earning his living by creating advertisements and illustrations for newspapers and magazines. This work was reflected in his art, in which the influence of advertising and poster art is noticeable.In each picture of the painter, which at first glance seems like a meaningless set of objects, there is a hidden deep meaning and secret subtext addressed to the human subconscious. The central character of the work often became a mysterious man in a bowler hat, the prototype of which many consider Magritte himself. The artist never explained the meaning of his paintings, leaving the viewer with many questions and guesses about the true meaning of the things depicted in his paintings.

Romain de Tirtoff was a 20th-century Russian artist, designer and key figure in the Art Deco movement. As a descendant of an ancient noble family, he worked under the pseudonym Erté, which he used in order not to “disgrace the family”.From an early age, Romain showed an interest in theater, painting, drawing and clothing design. The boy made his first sketch of a dress at the age of six. He later took private lessons from Russian artists Ilya Repin and Dmitry Losevsky. Ballerina Maria Petipa taught him to dance. In 1900, when he was young, he visited the World Exhibition in Paris. After that, decided to devote more time to painting.

Tamara de Lempicka (born Maria Górska) was a Polish American artist and author of the famous painting “La Belle Rafaëlla”.Tamara loved music when she was young, and it was thought that she would become a pianist. However, after her trip to Italy she became interested in painting.Works by Lempicka combine the styles of Art Deco, Cubism and Mannerism. The gloomy and unfriendly mood of her characters resembles the mood in portraits by 16th century Italian Mannerists.

Mediums: oil, canvas. Dimensions: 93 x 74 cm. Location: Moscow Museum of Modern Art (Russia).

This is one of the paintings in Erté's series "The seven deadly sins".

Mediums: screen printing. Location: private collection.

Mediums: screen printing, paper. Location: private collection.

Mediums: screen printing, paper. Location: private collection.

Mediums: lithography, paper. Location: Tate Gallery, Britain.

Mediums: lithography, paper. Location: Tate Gallery, Britain.

Mediums: oil, plywood. Location: National Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France.

Mediums: oil, canvas.

Mediums: oil, canvas.

Mediums: oil, panel. Dimensions: 35 x 27 сm. Location: private Collection, Switzerland.

Mediums: oil, canvas. Location: private collection.

Mediums: oil, canvas.

Mediums: oil, canvas.

This artistic movement includes many different styles, created by several artists who worked in different techniques. Such paintings combine some similarities.

This artistic movement includes many different styles, created by several artists who worked in different techniques. Such paintings combine some similarities.