Erté's Timeless Art Deco Elegance on Display at Labirinto della Masone Near Parma

The exhibition 'Erté. Lo stile è tutto' at Labirinto della Masone showcases the work of the Russian-born artist Erté (Romain de Tirtoff, 1892-1990), a champion of Art Deco. The show features drawings, gouaches, models, and sketches that cover the venue's walls. It opens with archival material highlighting the relationship between Erté and publisher Franco Maria Ricci, who revived interest in the artist with a 1970 monograph in the 'I segni dell’Uomo' series featuring a text by Roland Barthes. The exhibition is organized into thematic sections exploring Erté's work for theater, fashion, and his famous 'Alphabet' and 'Numbers' series created over four decades. His 1927 work 'La Regina di Saba' exemplifies his style, blending Byzantine, Greek, and exotic influences. The artist, born into a Russian aristocratic family, moved to Paris in 1912 and worked for couturier Paul Poiret. Curator Valerio Terraroli's catalog essay frames Art Deco as a post-WW1 bourgeois cultural orientation that tamed avant-garde and global influences. The display includes three paper dresses by Caterina Crepax inspired by Erté's spirit. The show also features his long-running cover designs for Harper’s Bazaar from 1915 to 1937.