Best Artwork by Tamara De Lempicka

Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka was an Art Deco artist best known for her glamorous portraits from the 1920s and 1930s.

Created in 1946, Amethyst shows the artist having moved away from Art Deco forms to still lifes and portraits of young women with more classical and rounded faces. In this artwork, a partially nude woman is playing a guitar against a backdrop of a sky streaked with purple and a still body of water. De Lempicka was living in her country home in Connecticut at this time.

Among the artist’s most famous paintings is Autoportrait. This artwork was commissioned by Die Dame, a German fashion magazine, in 1929. De Lempicka depicts herself with a scarf in the driver’s seat of a green Bugatti, a racing car. She did not own one herself. This painting celebrates the independence of the modern woman.

Created in 1927, Kizette on the Balcony is one of five portraits the artist painted of her daughter. In the painting, Kizette is shown sitting on a balcony in front of a blue curtain with a cluster of buildings in the background. She is depicted with a silvery, white dress, and one hand rests on the rail while she holds something in her other hand.

Created in 1932, Portrait of Majorie Ferry is a painting of a cabaret singer in Paris in the 1930s. (pictured above) The artist puts mystery and excitement in the artwork by showing the nude woman seductively covered by bedsheets. Her back is exposed, and there is a ring on her finger. One arm rests on a sofa, and the background shows modernist marble pillars. The painting is marked by bold colors and geometric shapes, typical of the Art Deco movement.

Created in 1930, Portrait of Mrs. Alan Bott has the artist blending sensuality and refinement, making a subtle statement on the contemporary apex of American capitalism. In the painting, a modern woman of high society sits dressed in white, leaning elegantly against a backdrop of buildings emphasizing her stature and status. She was the wife of Captain Alan Bott, a WWI flying ace who was credited with five aerial victories.

Created in 1933, Portrait of Suzy Solidor is a depiction of a cabaret singer, actress, and Paris nightclub owner. She posed for many artists. Her De Lempicka captures her charm and beauty in a modern style with geometric forms representing Solidor’s reputation as a fearless and independent woman.

Created in 1929, Skyscrapers is an artwork from De Lempicka's first visit to the US, when she painted several studies of NYC skyscrapers. Here one can see her Cubist influence. Some of the buildings, including the one in the forefront, feature no windows. They are simply covered in shades of gray and darkness.

Created in 1938, Suzanne Bathing was inspired by Renaissance artists and based on an Old Testament story. The woman is seen in a natural setting clutching her white clothing. She exudes modesty and innocence rather than a powerful and seductive sexuality.

Created in 1930, The Telephone II is a portrait of a woman speaking on the telephone. She is wearing a blue and white dress as she angles her head toward the phone. Looking straight ahead, the viewer is a witness to a private conversation.

Young Girl in Green shows the artist’s skill in fusing classicism with the modernism of Art Deco. The artwork depicts a young woman holding the brim of her hat and tilting her head to protect it from a gust of wind. You can see her dress moving in the breeze. The green color of the dress emphasizes the woman’s liveliness, individuality, and poise. The white gloves indicate that she is a chic woman of the Jazz Age.