Giclée, Arches vellum paper, 100 x 70 cm (inner dimensions of the frame); mounted in a frame and a double passe-partout with gold edging;
Signed on the plate, lower right: “LEMPICKA”
Produced by: Elite Lithographers, Edmonton, Canada
License: Tamara de Lempicka Estate, LLC, Canada
References - A. Blondel, Tamara de Lempicka, Catalogue raisonné, 1921–1979, Lausanne, 1999, no. B.93, illustration on p. 171
The composition depicts Ira Perrot in an exceptionally sensual and intimate manner, which was characteristic of Lempicka’s works from that period. Ira Perrot was not only the artist’s favorite model and muse, but also her close friend, and, according to many sources, her lover as well.
Bibliography:
T. de Lempicka, *Annotated Photo Albums*, Houston, 1923, no. 63. (illustrated).
K. de Lempicka-Foxhall & C.L. Phillips, *Passion by Design: The Arts and Times of Tamara de Lempicka*, New York, 1987.
E. Thormann, Tamara de Lempicka, Art Criticism and Women Artists in Paris, Berlin, 1993, no. 59.
Catalog of the retrospective exhibition Tamara de Lempicka / Tra eleganza e trasgressione (Villa Medici, Rome, 1994).
Tamara de Lempicka was a Polish-born painter known for her distinctive Art Deco style, which combined elements of Cubism and Neoclassicism with a modern sensibility. She rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s, particularly in Paris, where she became part of bohemian and aristocratic circles. Łempicka’s works are characterized by elegant lines, bold forms, and a focus on glamour, luxury, and sensuality, making her one of the most iconic artists of the Art Deco movement.
Her paintings often feature elegant, stylized portraits of wealthy and fashionable people, as well as nude figures rendered with a high-gloss, almost sculptural quality. Lempicka’s subjects, mainly women, are depicted with strength and sensuality, which helped her gain recognition at a time when female artists were often marginalized. Her work epitomized the wealth and hedonism of the interwar period, and thanks to her aristocratic connections and lavish lifestyle, she earned the nickname “The Baroness with the Paintbrush.”
