Press Release  November 8, 2019

Erté: The Father of Art Deco

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ― Brooke Trace, artist and owner of North Beach Art Gallery, is hosting the highly unique and buzzworthy Erté Bronze Sculpture Collection consisting of 146 works. North Beach Art Gallery will exhibit the entire sculpture collection however this private collection totals a grand 205 pieces of artwork.

North Beach Art Gallery holds the only known Erté complete collection ever assembled. The only other known complete collections of Erté bronze sculptures, aside from “Letter F” and “Ibis (Bird Head),” were owned by the late celebrities Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson.

Showcased on the eve of the centennial of the Art Deco era, this acclaimed, privately-held exhibition celebrates Erté (whose birth name was Romain de Tirtoff), a Russian-born French artist and designer known as the “Father of Art Deco.”

This unparalleled Erté collection consists of 146 bronze sculptures recreated from Erté’s costume set designs and Harper's Bazaar illustrations. The “Letter F” is the original and only casting of this sculpture by Erté. The very rare “Ibis (Bird Head),” and the more elegant casting of the second “Ibis” are also part of this complete collection. Additional works including 13 objects d’ art, 10 medallions, two European editions suites, and “The Alphabet & Numerals” suites will be on display in their original portfolio cases.

The exhibition also features extensive documentation―including original brochures, Certificates of Authenticity, receipts of purchase, and the program for Erté’s 90th birthday Retrospective Exhibition held by the Dyansen Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts―and signed books.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase these distinct works of art,” says Trace, who herself is an artist with a trained eye for period pieces. “Many of these works are quite rare so it is a great privilege to experience them up close and in person. Art collectors and enthusiasts alike will undoubtedly appreciate this very unique assemblage.”

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