“I was the first woman, who did clear painting and that was the success of my painting and the galleries began to put me in the best rooms, always in the center, because my paintings attracted people. It was neat; it was finished.” — Tamara de Lempicka
Tamara de Lempicka is one of my favorites. Born in 1898 to well to do parents in Poland, Tamara spent her life in rich luxury. From young love affairs, to escaping the Russian Revolution, to becoming a refugee, Tarmara’s life was fascinating and full of adventure. Painting was undoubtedly her truest and most passionate love affair. After moving to the United States with her second husband in 1939, Tamara became the, “Favorite Artist of the Hollywood Stars,” for portraits and commissioned paintings. They moved to New York in 1943 and Tamara continued to paint with varied success. You can read her brief but extraordinary biography here. What is outstanding is that there are not a lot of female painters that are recognized from the art deco period. Her spare lines are modern and minimal while still capturing the subject. Don’t the paintings make you feel curious about the life, loves, and struggles of their subject matter? They have a bit of mystery and most have a bit of dark, sadness to them. Perhaps the lavish lifestyle wasn’t everything Tamara conveyed it to be. Unexpected loneliness, an unwelcome emptiness. It’s hard to know one way or the other but one thing I do know, her paintings are exquisite. Such an elegant, gorgeous way to express life. She says to “create style,” and she convinced me!
“Among a hundred paintings, you could recognize mine, my goal was: Do not copy. Create a new style…colors light and bright, return to elegance in my models.”
Have an infinitely modern day!
