Periodically, we find ourselves drawn to things created almost 100 years ago that continue to capture our attention and surprise us. Whether you’re a fan of films like Metropolis, Batman (1989), The Great Gatsby, or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, or you have an appreciation for jewelry, furniture, or architecture, you’ve likely admired something from the Art Deco era.
What is Art Deco? Very Short Introduction To the History and Characteristics of this Amazing Style
Art Deco is characterized by simple, clean forms and richly decorated things that evoke a sense of luxury. This influential style, partly inspired by Aztec and Egyptian art, can be seen in everything from jewelry to bookends. It was a symbol of power and wealth, and its grandeur is showcased in famous buildings like the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the Rockefeller Center.
The prominence of Art Deco declined with the onset of the Great Depression and the outbreak of World War II. The name of the style comes from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts), often shortened to Arts Décoratifs.
Famous Art Deco Artists You Should Know
René Lalique
French jeweler and glass designer. He was born in 1860. At the age of 16, he started working as an assistant to jeweler Louis Aucoc. He designed many pieces of jewelry for Cartier, Boucheron, Jacta, etc. But he was most famous for his glass art creations. One of his most famous glassworks is lit glass walls and glass pillars for the ocean liner Normandie. Unfortunately, this ship burned during the Second World War, and before being taken out of the water, it was not restored.
Erté
Romain de Tirtoff, better known by his pseudonym Erte, was born in 1892 in Saint Petersburg. As an 18-year-old boy, he moved to Paris in 1910. Very early, he showed interest in the arts. His work on Harper’s Bazaar magazine illustrations brought him recognition in Parisian circles. He designed over 200 covers for this magazine. In addition to covers, he designed jewelry and stage costumes.
Tamara de Lempicka
This amazing painter was born in 1894 in Poland. Her breakthrough started in 1925, after the exhibition. Journalists of Harper’s Bazaar noticed their paintings, and very soon they became popular. Her works are in the biggest museums around the world. At Christie’s auction in 2020, her painting Portrait de Marjorie Ferry (1932) set a record, selling for $21.1 million. Her self-portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) from 1929 is one of her most recognizable works.
Cassandra
We mentioned the ocean liner Normandie, did you know that the poster for it was made by Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, better known as Cassandre? He was born in 1901 and is certainly one of the most famous poster artists. There is hardly a person who has not seen at least one of his posters. In addition to posters, he also dealt with typography, so he is known as the designer of several fonts: Bifur, Acier Noir, and Peignot.
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Ruhlmann (1879-1933) was a furniture designer and interior decorator. During the 1910s he was already making furniture, and his style back then was elegant, with the highest quality. He found inspiration in Neoclassicism. The Salon of the Hôtel du Collectionneur in 1925 was exhibited at the famous exposition. When he discovered that he was terminally ill, in 1933, he designed his funeral monument. As a perfectionist, he asked that his company be closed after his death because he was afraid that the company would lose the design, reputation, vision, and reputation it had. Today, many of the furniture things can be found in museums all over the world.
Only in the 1960s, a renewed interest in art deco began, which continues to this day. Many artists find inspiration in it for creating fashion, art, and jewelry works.
If you are more interested in Art Deco, we recommend the following books:
American Art Deco: Architecture and Regionalism by Carla Breeze
Art Deco: The Golden Age of Graphic Art & Illustration by Michael Robinson and Rosalind Ormiston