Fashion Icon Erté In Spotlight At Heritage Auctions

Featuring Original and Editioned Works in a Variety of Media

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DALLAS, Texas (January 25, 2020) — More than 100 pieces from artist and designer Erté will cross the block Feb. 12 in Erté Art & Costume Design Online Auction, Heritage Auctions' first ever auction dedicated to the work of the fashion icon

"Erté" is a nom d'artiste derived the French pronunciation of Erté Russian name, Romain de Tirtoff. "He is the only person that I have ever met who attended the Paris Expositions of 1900 and 1925!" recalled Nicholas Dawes, Senior Vice President at Heritage Auctions. Erté is a remarkable connection to the Art Nouveau and Art Deco past. He began his career as an illustrator for fashion designer Paul Poiret before World War I, working alongside Paul Iribe and members of the Ballets Russes. Throughout his extraordinarily long and prolific career, the manneristically elegant style Poiret he learned in his youth never left him. From the 1970s, he was successfully revived on a commercial scale, unknown to most decorative artists, allowing his unique elegance to be shared by millions of new admirers.

"Heritage Auctions is pleased to present the first auction in decades dedicated to the art and design of Erté, one of the most prolific and influential makers of the 20^th century." Heritage Auctions Junior Specialist Samantha Robinson said. "The auction features 97 lots, including original and editioned works in a variety of media – drawings, prints, bronzes, decorative objects, and jewelry – that demonstrate the depth and breadth of his oeuvre."

The top lots in the auction include, but are not limited to:

Numbers (10 works in original portfolio), 1980 (estimate: $3,000-5,000)

An Evening in 1922, 1980 (estimate: $2,000-3,000)

Set Design for Les Joies du Capitole at Théâtre de la Madeleine, 1935 (estimate: $1,500-2,500)

Phoenix Triumphant, 1983 (estimate: $1,000-1,500)

Manhattan 14K Gold, Silver, and Diamond Brooch in Original Box, circa 1980 (estimate: $1,000-1,500)

Anyone interested in consigning Erté works for future auctions should contact Samantha Robinson at samanthar@HA.com or at 214-409-1784.

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has over 1,250,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of five million past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit.


Steve Lansdale, Public Relations Specialist
214-409-1699; SteveL@HA.com