Tamara De Lempicka was born Maria Gorska in Warsaw, Poland in the year 1898. She is best known under her married name of Tamara de Lempicka. The artist is best known for her work of the Art Deco period. Though in her later years she did experiment with abstract works. Her father was a lawyer and her mother the daughter of a socialite. HEr entire life she would remain in the upper crust of life. One sister named Adrienne Gorska went on to be a great interior designer.
In 1912 her parents divorced, she went to live with a rich aunt in Russia. Whilst at the opera at the age of 15, she set her sights on the man she would marry. A lawyer and ladies man about time named Tadeusz de Lempicki. After the Russian revolution the family moved to Paris and were able to get by on selling some family jewels.
She would attend the famous Academie de la Grand Chaumiere in Paris, France for her artistic education.
Some of her work appeared in the hottest fashion magazines of the day. One such work is titled “Auto-Portrait.” Which shows the artist as a sort of Rosie the Riveter iconic woman. Independent, self assured, and free to do what she wants.
She was bisexual and plays have been written about her love life. Even a book by Ellis Avery on a relationship de Lempicka might have had with one of her models.
Her husband didn’t like her bisexuality and he divorced her. She would later remarry another aristocrat. In 1939 she headed for California and became loved by the Hollywood crowd.
Tamara de Lempicka passed away in 1978.
She is still popular among Hollywood, with collectors including Jack Nicholson and Madonna. Madonna even uses some of her works in her videos as background.
Price range information: Works range from $10,000 to $40,0000 for pencil works. Oils can reach for $9 million dollars.
In this clip a great montage of art by Lempicka:
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