Tamara de Lempicka
One of the most recognisable artists of the "Arts Decoratifs" (Art Deco) era, was Tamara de Lempicka. She was born in Poland, but fled to Paris in 1916 to escape the Bolsheviks.
In Paris, she studied art and became a well-known portrait painter with a distinctive Art Deco style. Between the wars, she painted portraits of writers, entertainers, artists and nobility, which brought her critical acclaim, celebrity and wealth.
Portrait du Marquis Sommi, 1925
Shortly before the outbreak of WWII, she moved to Hollywood to become an artist to the stars. Her painting style fell out of fashion in the 1950s, but was rediscovered following an exhibition of her work in 1966. She died in 1980 and had her ashes scattered on the top of Mount Popocatépetl, in Mexico.
My Portrait, 1929
