Stylistic development
In March 1939, Lempicka arrived in New York, along with her latest paintings. She had also brought along several of her large-scale classics - such as "The Musician" (B.117) - which she planned to display together with the new works. Despite the hassle of settling in and preparing several shows (in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Milwaukee), she managed to find time for several very ambitious creations, such as "Wisdom" (B.221) and "At the Opera" (B.222), which she had started before leaving.
After her last exhibition at the Julian Levy Gallery of Los Angeles, in 1941, the spread of war relegated such mundane events as opening receptions to the sidelines. Consequently, Lempicka withdrew to her country house in Connecticut. Here, she devoted herself to a series of still lifes comprised of commonplace objects, vegetables and fruits, affording her occasion to attain a state of peace far removed from the era's upheavals. She became less sharply precise, attending more to the solidity of her compositions, and using skilfully gradated contours to build up rounded volumes, which nonetheless retain their fullness. Once back in New York, where, given the times, no further portrait commissions were forthcoming, she painted portrait after portrait of idealized young women, gradually defining the norms of a model-face that would become somewhat of an obsession (cf. the series with turban [B.254, B.262]). In parallel, she continued her still lifes, adorning them with drapes in a most classical spirit, or even in a trompe l'oeil vein. At the same time, she began doing copies of works by the Renaissance masters.
With the return of peacetime, Lempicka took painful stock of the changes wrought in all realms; in the realm of art, these could only cut her off even more from the mainstream. In January 1949, she left for Italy, where she spent six months. From then on, Lempicka would become a perpetual commuter between New York, Paris, Florence, Capri, Zurich, Monaco, Marrakech, and more.
In March 1939, Lempicka arrived in New York, along with her latest paintings. She had also brought along several of her large-scale classics - such as "The Musician" (B.117) - which she planned to display together with the new works. Despite the hassle of settling in and preparing several shows (in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Milwaukee), she managed to find time for several very ambitious creations, such as "Wisdom" (B.221) and "At the Opera" (B.222), which she had started before leaving.
After her last exhibition at the Julian Levy Gallery of Los Angeles, in 1941, the spread of war relegated such mundane events as opening receptions to the sidelines. Consequently, Lempicka withdrew to her country house in Connecticut. Here, she devoted herself to a series of still lifes comprised of commonplace objects, vegetables and fruits, affording her occasion to attain a state of peace far removed from the era's upheavals. She became less sharply precise, attending more to the solidity of her compositions, and using skilfully gradated contours to build up rounded volumes, which nonetheless retain their fullness. Once back in New York, where, given the times, no further portrait commissions were forthcoming, she painted portrait after portrait of idealized young women, gradually defining the norms of a model-face that would become somewhat of an obsession (cf. the series with turban [B.254, B.262]). In parallel, she continued her still lifes, adorning them with drapes in a most classical spirit, or even in a trompe l'oeil vein. At the same time, she began doing copies of works by the Renaissance masters.
With the return of peacetime, Lempicka took painful stock of the changes wrought in all realms; in the realm of art, these could only cut her off even more from the mainstream. In January 1949, she left for Italy, where she spent six months. From then on, Lempicka would become a perpetual commuter between New York, Paris, Florence, Capri, Zurich, Monaco, Marrakech, and more.
Self-Portrait
Portrait of baron Raoul Kuffner
Interior of a Stateroom
Young Lady with an Oil Lamp
Mother and Child
The Little Prince Awakening
Young Lady with a Wide-Brimmed Hat
Woman with White Gloves
Woman in a Yellow Dress
Seated Woman
La bella donna
Study for "Wisdom"
Study for "Wisdom"
Study for a Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait
Portrait of a Man Wearing Glasses
Study for "The Dutch Girl"
Portrait of a Woman with a Turban
Portrait of a Woman in a Veiled Hat
Still Life: the Watercolor
Profile of a Woman with Scarf I
Profile of a Woman with Scarf II
Girl with Arums
Girl with Arums
Portrait of a Girl
Portrait of a Bearded Man
Portrait of a Mustached Man
Tuscan Peasant
Portrait of a Fisherman
Bandido
Study after Rubens
Figure Study after Botticelli
Young Lady with a Chignon
Virgin with Child
Anatomic Studies Sheet
Face and Hands Study
Face Study
Head and Hands Study
Indian with Turban
Girl Wearing a White Headdress
Portrait of Louisanne Kuffner
Old Lady in Black (sketch)
Young Lady with Crossed Arms
Escape
Wisdom
At the Opera
The Dutch Girl
Pitcher on a Chair I
The Coffee Mill
Still Life with Diana
Succulent and Flask
The Arums
The Seashell
Composition in the Studio
The Studio Door
Studio in the Country
Lemon
Still Life with Tangerines
Still Life with Pepper and Onion
Still Life with Bottle of Milk
Carrots
Wine Bottle and Onions
Pitcher and Lemons on a Chair
Still Life, Lemons and Plate
Apples in a Fruit Bowl
Bouquet of Primroses
The Mask and Feather I
The Mask and Feather II
Study for the Couple
The Couple
Woman with Blue Scarf
Movie Face
The Rose Hat
Redheaded Girl and Garland of Roses
Still Life with Lilies and Photo
Still Life with Lily and Gray Drape
Still Life with Pink Fabric and Lilies
The Gray Turban I
The Gray Turban II
Profile of Woman with Scarf
Hands Study
The Closed Gate
Woman with Red and White Turban
Girl with Pansies
Adele with a Turban
The Orange Turban
The Orange Turban II
The Orange Turban III
Figure with Turban
The Pink Turban
Portrait of Chacha
Amethyst
Still Life with Apples and Lemons
Apples and Lemons Study
The Key and the Egg
A Trompe-l'oeil Painting with a Botticelli
The Key
Surrealist Hand
City of Rocks I
City of Rocks II
Orchid in the Cuernevaca Forest
The Mexican Woman
Portrait of Beautiful M. I
Portrait of Beautiful M. II
Portrait in da Vinci's Taste
Portrait after Dürer
The Coffeepot
The Bowl of Grapes
Fruits in a Bowl I
Still Life of Fruits and Silk Drape
Still Life with Seashells
Lilies and Yellow Roses
Hands and Flowers
Hand Holding a Spray of Flowers
Fruit Bowl
Study after Botticelli
Study after Caravaggio
Sketch of a Female Figure
Figure Study
Bouquet of Tulips and Cast of a Hand
Antique Cast with Dove
Night Scene
The Guitarist
The Reader I
Hotel Room
Interior
The Gray Armchair
Nude with Straw Hat
Nude with Cut Arm
Standing Nude, Seen from Behind
Nude with Pitcher I
At the Theater
Portrait of a Girl
Androgynous Figure
Woman with Hat
Girl with White Shawl
Oranges in a Basket
Grapes in a Basket
Bouquet in a Bowl
Vase with Flowers
Roses in a Vase
Apple, Quince, Grapes I
Apple, Grapes I
Bowl, Drapery, Fruits
Still Life with Succulent
Still Life with Lemons
-
Self-Portrait
A.181circa1939Crayon on paper32 x 23,5 cm (12 5/8 x 9 1/4 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Autoportrait)Collections1972 - Private collection - FranceExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, JapanHistoryImages of TAMARA, Biography, Psychology: Never had an artist been so preoccupied with her own image as Lempicka: she herself did many self-portraits, and, more especially, spent hours to sitting for photographers, where she would take on the attitude of a professional model. Her long stay in Hollywood, and all her efforts to penetrate the movie world, suggest that she longed to be in the "spotlight". Her "screen test" - with the newsreel producers Pathé in 1932 - shows a supremely self-assured image of her coming down the staircase of her rue Méchain studio, flourishing a seemingly endless cigarette-holder. -
Portrait of baron Raoul Kuffner
A.182circa1939Crayon on paper33 x 25,4 cm (13 x 10 in)Lempicka 1929 (bottom right)(Portrait du baron Raoul Kuffner)The drawing style makes us doubt the authenticity of the date.HistoryBaron KUFFNER, Family or close friend: Baron Raoul Kuffner de Dioszegh, descended from a wealthy family of Hungarian brewers and breeders, received his title of nobility by the hand of Emperor Francis-Joseph. This great landowner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire had the foresight to part with his property in Europe before emigrating to the United States in 1939. He married Lempicka, in Switzerland, in 1933, "six years after having met her in Paris" (The Billings Gazette, 5 September 1946). The baron's father, Karl, had assembled - in a specially designed wing of his château in Dioszegh - a splendid collection of Old Master paintings, open to his fellow citizens. The collection landed in France between 1930 and 1938, and travelled on to New York in 1940, where it became the object of a prestigious auction at Parke-Bernett's on 18 November 1948. Baron Kuffner died on November 3, 1961, on his return trip from Europe to New York, on the SS Liberté. He is the author of a book pleading in favor of free enterprise: Planomania-Capitalism makes Sense (Richard R. Smith Publishers). -
Interior of a Stateroom
A.183circa1939Crayon on paper32 x 23,5 cm (12 5/8 x 9 1/4 in)Lempicka (top right)(Interieur de cabine)This stateroom on the "SS Paris" might well be the one in which the couple travelled when they left for the States, in February of 1939.Collections1995 - Private collection - Italy -
Young Lady with an Oil Lamp
A.184circa1939Crayon on paper32 x 23,5 cm (12 5/8 x 9 1/4 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Jeune femme à la lampe à pétrole) -
Mother and Child
A.185circa1939Crayon on paper35,5 x 26 cm (14 x 10 1/4 in)Lempicka 1930. (bottom right)(Mère et enfant)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
The Little Prince Awakening
A.186circa1939Crayon on paper45,5 x 30 cm (17 7/8 x 11 3/4 in)Lempicka (bottom left)(Le reveil du petit prince)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
Young Lady with a Wide-Brimmed Hat
A.187circa1939Crayon on paper44 x 28 cm (17 3/8 x 11 in)Lempicka Paris 1929 (bottom right)(Jeune femme à la capeline)Collections1990 - Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Hirsc - U.S.A. -
Woman with White Gloves
A.188circa1939Watercolor on paper45 x 30 cm (17 3/4 x 11 3/4 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Femme aux gants blancs)Auctions10/11/1992 - NEW YORK. Christie's East “Beat-7363”, # 51 $ 0
21/02/1995 - NEW YORK. Christie's East"P.7669", # 53 $ 3 910 -
Woman in a Yellow Dress
A.189circa1939Watercolor on paper42,5 x 35 cm (16 3/4 x 13 3/4 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Femme en robe jaune)Auctions09/05/1992 - NEW YORK. Christie's East “Will-7311”, # 46 $ 0
21/02/1995 - NEW YORK. Christie's East"P.7669", # 52 $ 3 680 -
Seated Woman
A.190circa1940Crayon on paper36,8 x 29,2 cm (14 1/2 x 11 1/2 in)Lempicka (bottom left)(Femme assise)Auctions09/05/1992 - NEW YORK. Christie's East “Will-7311”, # 93 $ 3 800 -
La bella donna
A.191circa1940Crayon on paper48,2 x 30,9 cm (19 x 12 1/8 in)(La bella donna)Auctions18/02/1988 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Shira-6540”, # 65 $ 1 700 -
Study for "Wisdom"
A.192circa1940Crayon on paper62 x 46 cm (24 3/8 x 18 1/8 in)Lempicka (artist's stamp bottom right)(Etude pour "La Sagesse")See B.221.Collections1994 - Private collection - ItalyAuctions29/09/1994 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade "1482", # 110 $ 2 760 -
Study for "Wisdom"
A.193circa1940Crayon on paperLempicka (bottom right)(Etude pour "La Sagesse")See B.221. -
Study for a Self-Portrait
A.194circa1940Crayon on paper34 x 26,3 cm (13 3/8 x 10 3/8 in)(Etude pour un autoportrait)Auctions13/11/1990 - NEW YORK. Christie's “7099-Merran”, # 218 $ 1 200 -
Self-Portrait
A.195circa1941Crayon on light blueish paper37 x 28 cm (14 5/8 x 11 in)(Autoportrait)Collections1994 - Alain Lesieutre Gallery - FranceHistoryImages of TAMARA, Biography, Psychology: Never had an artist been so preoccupied with her own image as Lempicka: she herself did many self-portraits, and, more especially, spent hours to sitting for photographers, where she would take on the attitude of a professional model. Her long stay in Hollywood, and all her efforts to penetrate the movie world, suggest that she longed to be in the "spotlight". Her "screen test" - with the newsreel producers Pathé in 1932 - shows a supremely self-assured image of her coming down the staircase of her rue Méchain studio, flourishing a seemingly endless cigarette-holder. -
Portrait of a Man Wearing Glasses
A.196circa1941Crayon on paper22,3 x 17,8 cm (8 3/4 x 7 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Portrait d'homme à lunettes) -
Study for "The Dutch Girl"
A.197circa1941Crayon on paper26,5 x 23,5 cm (10 3/8 x 9 1/4 in)Lempicka (bottom left)(Etude pour "La Hollandaise")See B.223.Auctions22/11/1989 - PARIS. Ader, # 95 $ 0
24/01/1990 - PARIS. Loudmer, # 183 $ 7 000 -
Portrait of a Woman with a Turban
A.198circa1942Crayon on paper23,5 x 17 cm (9 1/4 x 6 3/4 in)T.DE LEMPICKA (artist's stamp bottom right)(Portrait de femme avec turban)Collections1990 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.Auctions19/11/1992 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “6365-Fried”, # 173 $ 0 -
Portrait of a Woman in a Veiled Hat
A.199circa1943Watercolor on paper38 x 25,5 cm (15 x 10 in)Lempicka 1925 (bottom right)(Femme au chapeau à voilette)The dating (written with a different pencil) was added by Tamara de Lempicka, with scarce regard to its accuracy.Auctions09/05/1992 - NEW YORK. Christie's East “Will-7311”, # 45 $ 3 000 -
Still Life: the Watercolor
A.200circa1944Crayon on paper22,9 x 30,2 cm (9 x 11 7/8 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Nature morte: l'aquarelle)Collections1992 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Profile of a Woman with Scarf I
A.201circa1945Watercolor on paper38 x 28 cm (15 x 11 in)Lempicka 1926 (bottom right)(Profil de femme au foulard I)Obiously, this watercolor was backdated. See B.256.Auctions14/02/1991 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Beth-7218”, # 64 $ 0 -
Profile of a Woman with Scarf II
A.202circa1945Watercolor on paper45 x 30 cm (17 3/4 x 11 3/4 in)Lempicka/ Paris 1923 (bottom right)(Profil de femme avec foulard II)Again, the date - added later - seems improbable. See B.256.Collections1995 - Private collection - ItalyAuctions14/06/1995 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade-1508, # 103 $ 3 000 -
Girl with Arums
A.203circa1945Crayon on paper22,2 x 17,1 cm (8 3/4 x 6 3/4 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Jeune fille aux arums)HistoryThe CALLA LILIES, Biography, Psychology: What could be the significance of the artist's lifelong passion for arum flowers? In Lempicka's work, the objects selected to compose her still lifes - which often bring to mind riddles to be decoded - usually have a symbolic meaning. In the light of her oeuvre, we can easily guess at the symbolism of the arum flower: the white corolla of course brings the ideal of purity to mind, while the tumescent pistil at its center is the very image of concupiscence. Illustrating the artist's tormented mind, it represents, in a manner of speaking, the unstable marriage of sanctity and lust! -
Girl with Arums
A.203circa1945Crayon on paper22,2 x 17,1 cm (8 3/4 x 6 3/4 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Jeune fille aux arums)HistoryThe CALLA LILIES, Biography, Psychology: What could be the significance of the artist's lifelong passion for arum flowers? In Lempicka's work, the objects selected to compose her still lifes - which often bring to mind riddles to be decoded - usually have a symbolic meaning. In the light of her oeuvre, we can easily guess at the symbolism of the arum flower: the white corolla of course brings the ideal of purity to mind, while the tumescent pistil at its center is the very image of concupiscence. Illustrating the artist's tormented mind, it represents, in a manner of speaking, the unstable marriage of sanctity and lust! -
Portrait of a Girl
A.204circa1946Crayon on paper25 x 20 cm (9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in)(Portrait de jeune fille)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
Portrait of a Bearded Man
A.205circa1947Crayon on paper30 x 21 cm (11 3/4 x 8 1/4 in)(Portrait d'homme barbu)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
Portrait of a Mustached Man
A.206circa1947Crayon on paper21,7 x 13,7 cm (8 1/2 x 5 3/8 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Portrait d'homme moustachu) -
Tuscan Peasant
A.207circa1947Crayon on paper21,7 x 13,7 cm (8 1/2 x 5 3/8 in)Lempicka Florence 1929 (bottom right)(Paysan toscan)The date is uncertain. -
Portrait of a Fisherman
A.208circa1947Crayon on paper21,7 x 13,7 cm (8 1/2 x 5 3/8 in)Lempicka (bottom left)(Portrait de pêcheur) -
Bandido
A.209circa1947Crayon on paper21,7 x 13,7 cm (8 1/2 x 5 3/8 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Bandido) -
Study after Rubens
A.210circa1948Crayon on paper25,5 x 18,5 cm (10 x 7 1/4 in)T.DE LEMPICKA (artist's stamp bottom right)(Etude d'après Rubens)Auctions21/06/1988 - PARIS. Briest, # 165 $ 4 170 -
Figure Study after Botticelli
A.211circa1948Crayon on paper28,3 x 20,3 cm (11 1/8 x 8 in)T.Lempicka/1925. (bottom right)(Etude de figure d'après Botticelli)The date, added later, is uncertain.Auctions10/11/1992 - NEW YORK. Christie's East “Beat-7363”, # 192 $ 800 -
Young Lady with a Chignon
A.212circa1948Crayon on paper31,8 x 22,9 cm (12 1/2 x 9 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Jeune femme au chignon)Auctions21/06/1988 - PARIS. Briest, # 162 $ 8 000
18/06/1989 - ROUBAIX. Mercier, # 189 $ 0 -
Virgin with Child
A.213circa1949Crayon on paper35,6 x 29,2 cm (14 x 11 1/2 in)Lempicka (middle left)(Vierge à l'enfant)HistoryThe RELIGIOUS FEELING, Biography, Psychology: Religious feeling, intrinsic to Tamara de Lempicka's nature, began showing through in her oeuvre with works such as "Mother and Child" (B.12), although, admittedly, this work in particular was created under the direct influence of Maurice Denis. The moral crisis undergone by the artist from 1934 to 1936 exacerbated this feeling. And, finally, at the end of her life, Lempicka commended her soul to God through her numerous replicas of Madonna and St. Anthony (which, moreover, stood side to side with other copies of the sulfurous Rafaëla). -
Anatomic Studies Sheet
A.214circa1949Crayon on paper37 x 30 cm (14 5/8 x 11 3/4 in)Lempicka (bottom right)(Feuille d'études anatomiques)Collections1995 - Private collection - Italy -
Face and Hands Study
A.215circa1949Crayon on paper36,5 x 29,8 cm (14 3/8 x 11 3/4 in)Lempicka 1927 (bottom center)(Etude de visage et de mains)The date, added later, is uncertain.Collections1992 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Face Study
A.216circa1949Crayon on paper45,1 x 29,8 cm (17 3/4 x 11 3/4 in)Lempicka (bottom center)(Etude de visage)Collections1992 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Head and Hands Study
A.2171950Crayon on paper24,1 x 14,6 cm (9 1/2 x 5 3/4 in)Lempicka 1950. (bottom right)(Etude de tête et de mains) -
Indian with Turban
B.215circa1939Oil on canvas56 x 38,1 cm (22 x 15 in)(Indien à turban)Collections1990 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Girl Wearing a White Headdress
B.216circa1939Oil on canvas27 x 19 cm (10 5/8 x 7 1/2 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Jeune fille portant une coiffe blanche)Lempicka was always crazy about hats and headdresses of all sorts. She herself had a considerable collection of them.Collections1994 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.
1995 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Portrait of Louisanne Kuffner
B.217circa1939Oil on canvas28 x 23 cm (11 x 9 in)(Portrait de Louisanne Kuffner)Portrait of Baron Kuffner's daughter, born of a first marriage.Collections1940 - Private collection - U.S.A.HistoryBaron KUFFNER, Family or close friend: Baron Raoul Kuffner de Dioszegh, descended from a wealthy family of Hungarian brewers and breeders, received his title of nobility by the hand of Emperor Francis-Joseph. This great landowner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire had the foresight to part with his property in Europe before emigrating to the United States in 1939. He married Lempicka, in Switzerland, in 1933, "six years after having met her in Paris" (The Billings Gazette, 5 September 1946). The baron's father, Karl, had assembled - in a specially designed wing of his château in Dioszegh - a splendid collection of Old Master paintings, open to his fellow citizens. The collection landed in France between 1930 and 1938, and travelled on to New York in 1940, where it became the object of a prestigious auction at Parke-Bernett's on 18 November 1948. Baron Kuffner died on November 3, 1961, on his return trip from Europe to New York, on the SS Liberté. He is the author of a book pleading in favor of free enterprise: Planomania-Capitalism makes Sense (Richard R. Smith Publishers). -
Old Lady in Black (sketch)
B.218circa1939Oil on canvas35 x 27 cm (13 3/4 x 10 5/8 in)(Vieille dame en noir, esquisse)This old lady looks a great deal like Lempicka's grandmother, Clémentine Decler, who had shown Italy and its museums to the eleven-year-old artist-in-the-bud.Collections1980 - Lempicka Estate - U.S.A. -
Young Lady with Crossed Arms
B.2191939Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,6 cm (20 x 16 in)LEMPICKA (bottom right)(Jeune femme les bras croisés)An American-format work that probably belongs to the first paintings done by Lempicka upon setting herself up in the States.Collections1986 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art - New YorkExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Escape
B.220circa1940Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,6 cm (20 x 16 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (top left)(La fuite *)This work was painted just shortly after Lempicka arrived in the States (American-size format). It evokes the hardships of war in Europe, and was displayed in 1941, under the title "Somewhere in Europe", at the New York Julian Levy Gallery.Collections1976 - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes - FranceExhibitions1941 - Julien Levy Gallery, "Tamara de Lempicka / (Baroness de Kuffner)", New-York, United States
1941 - Julien Levy Galleries, "Tamara de Lempicka", Los Angeles, United States
1942 - Milwaukee Art Center, "Tamara de Lempicka (Baroness Kuffner)", Milwaukee, United States
1950 - Salon des Indépendants 1950, Paris, France
1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, ItalyHistoryThe obsession with EXILE, Biography, Psychology: Exile remained a lifelong obsession with Lempicka. It comes through in several of her paintings: "The Refugees" (B.158), 1931; "Before the Storm" (B.195), 1936; and "Flight" (B.220), 1940. The artist actually experienced two radical breaks in her life: the first when she left Bolshevik Russia in dramatic circumstances in 1918; and the second (better prepared!) in 1939, when she left for the United States.
1940, Chronology: The Kuffners decided to live in Hollywood, buying a house belonging to the film director King Vidor. De Lempicka threw herself into charitable work in support of wartime in Europe, and was given the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Women's Emergency Corps (whose uniforms she had designed). She requested American citizenship. -
Wisdom
B.221circa1940/1941Oil on wood panel71,1 x 50,8 cm (28 x 20 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (top left)(La Sagesse *)The layout and type of figure in this painting bring to mind work by the Flemish painter Quentin Matsys. Lempicka would subsequently make several replicas of this work.Collections1941 - Purchased directly by Mr. Soulas - Argentina
1993 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1941 - Julien Levy Gallery, "Tamara de Lempicka / (Baroness de Kuffner)", New-York, United StatesAuctions13/05/1993 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Mary-7674”, # 258 $ 160 000 -
At the Opera
B.2221941Oil on canvas76,2 x 50,8 cm (30 x 20 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. 1941. (bottom right)(A l'Opéra *)In this painting, Lempicka avails herself of several elements from her earlier works: these include the column in the portraits of (respectively) the Duchess of La Salle (B.72) and Marjorie Ferrie (B.166), and the lace in the portrait of Nana de Herrera (B.113).Collections1979 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.
1980 - Private collection - GermanyExhibitions1941 - Julien Levy Gallery, "Tamara de Lempicka / (Baroness de Kuffner)", New-York, United States
1941 - Julien Levy Galleries, "Tamara de Lempicka", Los Angeles, United States
1942 - Milwaukee Art Center, "Tamara de Lempicka (Baroness Kuffner)", Milwaukee, United States
1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, Japan
1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, Italy -
The Dutch Girl
B.2231941Oil on canvas65 x 50 cm (25 5/8 x 19 5/8 in)DE LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(La Hollandaise *)The chair on which the Dutch girl sits serves as a support in the still life "Pitcher on a Chair" (B.224).Collections1947 - Purchased directly by Mr. Louis Riz - FranceExhibitions1944 - Salon d'Automne 1944, Paris, France
1955 - Galerie André Weill, "Hélène Gallet et Tamara de Lempicka", Paris, France -
Pitcher on a Chair I
B.2241941Oil on plywood61 x 55,9 cm (24 x 22 in)LEMPICKA 41 (bottom left)(Cruche sur une chaise I)Upon her arrival in the States, Lempicka resumed her series of rural motifs. Hoping to capture the public, she attained new heights of technical virtuosity. Thus, with still lifes of this sort, she came near to the effects produced by various trompe-l'oeil artists on the fringes of Surrealism, such as the Italian Sciltian.Collections1976 - Musée d'Art Moderne de St Etienne - FranceExhibitions1942 - Milwaukee Art Center, "Tamara de Lempicka (Baroness Kuffner)", Milwaukee, United States
1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, Japan
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
The Coffee Mill
B.225circa1941Oil on wood panel61 x 50,8 cm (24 x 20 in)Tamara de Lempicka 1954 (in a cartouche top right)(Le moulin à café)This work's composition is clearly linked to the artist's 1941 "Pitcher on a Chair I" (B.224). Germain Bazin dates this work to 1940, which seems closer to the truth than the 1954 dating inscribed on the cartouche. The fact that the same pitcher reappears in her 1941 "The Young Dutch Lady" (B.223), speaks in favor of the earlier dating, even though it contradicts the frame inscription.Collections1976 - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes - FranceExhibitions1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, Japan
1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, Italy
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Still Life with Diana
B.226circa1941Oil on canvas50,8 x 63,5 cm (20 x 25 in)(Nature morte à la Diane)The book lies open at a reproduction of Diana as a huntress, a work credited to an anonymous painter of the School of Fontainebleau (sixteenth century).Collections1980 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Succulent and Flask
B.227circa1941Oil on canvas55,9 x 45,7 cm (22 x 18 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Plante grasse et fiole)Perhaps something is to be deciphered here: if so, it would have to be in the realms of either chemistry or medicine.Collections1989 - Private collection - U.S.A.
1996 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, JapanAuctions18/02/1988 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “5687-Twinkie”, # 118 $ 0
23/06/1989 - PARIS. Charbonneaux., # 52 $ 43 800 -
The Arums
B.2281941Oil on canvas76,2 x 50,8 cm (30 x 20 in)DE LEMPICKA. 1941 (top right)(Les arums )A stray spool of thread lying under the bouquet of arums adds a surprising domestic note to this still life.Collections1983 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.
1984 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1941 - Julien Levy Gallery, "Tamara de Lempicka / (Baroness de Kuffner)", New-York, United States
1941 - Julien Levy Galleries, "Tamara de Lempicka", Los Angeles, United StatesHistoryThe CALLA LILIES, Biography, Psychology: What could be the significance of the artist's lifelong passion for arum flowers? In Lempicka's work, the objects selected to compose her still lifes - which often bring to mind riddles to be decoded - usually have a symbolic meaning. In the light of her oeuvre, we can easily guess at the symbolism of the arum flower: the white corolla of course brings the ideal of purity to mind, while the tumescent pistil at its center is the very image of concupiscence. Illustrating the artist's tormented mind, it represents, in a manner of speaking, the unstable marriage of sanctity and lust!Auctions18/10/1984 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “5262-Pomona” , # 174 $ 44 000 -
The Seashell
B.2291941Oil on canvas40,6 x 50,8 cm (16 x 20 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Le coquillage)After arriving in the United States, Lempicka longed for peace (that same year, she painted an allegory of Wisdom [B.221]). The opulence and sensualism of her choice of subjects can be interpreted as a desire to forget Europe and its hardships.Collections1996 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1941 - Julien Levy Galleries, "Tamara de Lempicka", Los Angeles, United States
1942 - Milwaukee Art Center, "Tamara de Lempicka (Baroness Kuffner)", Milwaukee, United States
1961 - Galerie Ror-Volmar, "T. de Lempicka, œuvres récentes et anciennes, 1930-1960", Paris, France
1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, JapanAuctions11/05/1994 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Miyoko-7904”, # 257 $ 26 000
21/02/1985 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's "5291-Valentine”, # 70 $ 16 000
18/02/1988 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “5687-Twinkie”, # 117 $ 0
25/11/1994 - PARIS. Briest. Drouot Montaigne, # 35 $ 53 860 -
Composition in the Studio
B.2301941Oil on canvas50,8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in)(Composition dans l'atelier)In their catalog of June 14, 1985, Sotheby's of New York indicated that, "according to information provided by Kizette de Lempicka, the artist painted this work at her country house in Connecticut, in 1941."Collections1985 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions14/06/1985 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's "5358-Plage”, # 104 $ 4 500 -
The Studio Door
B.2311941Oil on canvas30,5 x 23 cm (12 x 9 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(La porte de l'atelier)One feature of the country house to which Lempicka had retreated, in Westport (Connecticut).Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
Studio in the Country
B.2321941Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,6 cm (20 x 16 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Atelier à la campagne)Another feature of the country house to which Lempicka had retreated, in Westport (Connecticut).Collections1982 - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes - France -
Lemon
B.2331941Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,5 cm (20 x 16 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom left)(Citron *)A lemon in a stable? Why not! The artist gave no justification for such combinations, which, as such, often add an unusual note to her still lifes.Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - MexicoExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Still Life with Tangerines
B.234circa1942Oil on canvas35,6 x 45,7 cm (14 x 18 in)LEMPICKA. (top left)(Nature morte aux mandarines)Collections1979 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions19/01/1979 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “4204”, # 53 $ 1 300 -
Still Life with Pepper and Onion
B.235circa1942Oil on canvas30,5 x 40,5 cm (12 x 16 in)(Nature morte avec poivron et oignon)Here, the artist resumes her series of peacefully rustic still lifes.Collections1987 - Private collection - U.S.A.ExhibitionsPeriod 1939 - 1952, Stylistic development: In March 1939, Lempicka arrived in New York, along with her latest paintings. She had also brought along several of her large-scale classics - such as "The Musician" (B.117) - which she planned to display together with the new works. Despite the hassle of settling in and preparing several shows (in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Milwaukee), she managed to find time for several very ambitious creations, such as "Wisdom" (B.221) and "At the Opera" (B.222), which she had started before leaving. After her last exhibition at the Julian Levy Gallery of Los Angeles, in 1941, the spread of war relegated such mundane events as opening receptions to the sidelines. Consequently, Lempicka withdrew to her country house in Connecticut. Here, she devoted herself to a series of still lifes comprised of commonplace objects, vegetables and fruits, affording her occasion to attain a state of peace far removed from the era's upheavals. She became less sharply precise, attending more to the solidity of her compositions, and using skilfully gradated contours to build up rounded volumes, which nonetheless retain their fullness. Once back in New York, where, given the times, no further portrait commissions were forthcoming, she painted portrait after portrait of idealized young women, gradually defining the norms of a model-face that would become somewhat of an obsession (cf. the series with turban [B.254, B.262]). In parallel, she continued her still lifes, adorning them with drapes in a most classical spirit, or even in a trompe l'oeil vein. At the same time, she began doing copies of works by the Renaissance masters. With the return of peacetime, Lempicka took painful stock of the changes wrought in all realms; in the realm of art, these could only cut her off even more from the mainstream. In January 1949, she left for Italy, where she spent six months. From then on, Lempicka would become a perpetual commuter between New York, Paris, Florence, Capri, Zurich, Monaco, Marrakech, and more.Auctions06/10/1987 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1215”, # 126 $ 9 500 -
Still Life with Bottle of Milk
B.236circa1942Oil on canvas40,5 x 50,8 cm (16 x 20 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Nature morte à la bouteille de lait)Classic drapes enhance the daily fare here.Collections1993 - Private collection - U.S.A.ExhibitionsPeriod 1939 - 1952, Stylistic development: In March 1939, Lempicka arrived in New York, along with her latest paintings. She had also brought along several of her large-scale classics - such as "The Musician" (B.117) - which she planned to display together with the new works. Despite the hassle of settling in and preparing several shows (in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Milwaukee), she managed to find time for several very ambitious creations, such as "Wisdom" (B.221) and "At the Opera" (B.222), which she had started before leaving. After her last exhibition at the Julian Levy Gallery of Los Angeles, in 1941, the spread of war relegated such mundane events as opening receptions to the sidelines. Consequently, Lempicka withdrew to her country house in Connecticut. Here, she devoted herself to a series of still lifes comprised of commonplace objects, vegetables and fruits, affording her occasion to attain a state of peace far removed from the era's upheavals. She became less sharply precise, attending more to the solidity of her compositions, and using skilfully gradated contours to build up rounded volumes, which nonetheless retain their fullness. Once back in New York, where, given the times, no further portrait commissions were forthcoming, she painted portrait after portrait of idealized young women, gradually defining the norms of a model-face that would become somewhat of an obsession (cf. the series with turban [B.254, B.262]). In parallel, she continued her still lifes, adorning them with drapes in a most classical spirit, or even in a trompe l'oeil vein. At the same time, she began doing copies of works by the Renaissance masters. With the return of peacetime, Lempicka took painful stock of the changes wrought in all realms; in the realm of art, these could only cut her off even more from the mainstream. In January 1949, she left for Italy, where she spent six months. From then on, Lempicka would become a perpetual commuter between New York, Paris, Florence, Capri, Zurich, Monaco, Marrakech, and more.Auctions26/02/1993 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1423”, # 95 $ 17 000
10/04/1987 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade "1197”, # 96 $ 16 000 -
Carrots
B.237circa1942Oil on canvas23 x 28 cm (9 x 11 in)(Carottes)Collections1980 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Wine Bottle and Onions
B.238circa1942Oil on canvas40,5 x 30,5 cm (16 x 12 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Bouteille de vin et oignons)Collections1987 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions06/10/1987 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1215”, # 127 $ 9 000 -
Pitcher and Lemons on a Chair
B.239circa1942Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,5 cm (20 x 16 in)(Cruche et citrons sur une chaise)Collections1993 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions26/02/1993 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1423”, # 92 $ 14 000
10/04/1987 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade "1197”, # 95 $ 14 000 -
Still Life, Lemons and Plate
B.240circa1942Oil on canvas55,9 x 45,7 cm (22 x 18 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Nature morte, citrons et assiette)Collections1990 - Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Hirsc - U.S.A.Exhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Apples in a Fruit Bowl
B.241circa1943Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,5 cm (20 x 16 in)LEMPICKA. (top left)(Pommes dans une coupe)Collections1990 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions10/10/1990 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade ”1335”, # 74 $ 28 000 -
Bouquet of Primroses
B.242circa1943Oil on wood panel15,2 x 20,3 cm (6 x 8 in)(Bouquet de primevères)Collections1990 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
The Mask and Feather I
B.243circa1943Oil on wood panel49 x 32 cm (19 1/4 x 12 5/8 in)(Le masque et la plume I)Collections1980 - Lempicka Estate - U.S.A. -
The Mask and Feather II
B.244circa1943Oil on board49,5 x 32 cm (19 1/2 x 12 5/8 in)LEMPICKA (bottom left)(Le masque et la plume II)Collections1989 - Private collection - U.S.A.
1993 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions07/10/1989 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade ”1296”, # 116 $ 27 000
26/02/1993 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1423”, # 90 $ 20 000 -
Study for the Couple
B.245circa1943Oil on canvas30 x 25 cm (11 3/4 x 9 7/8 in)(Etude pour "le couple")This figure, dressed in period style, looks like a film character. In fact, it is the Kuffner's (Russian) butler, portrayed at their home in Beverly Hills.Collections1990 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions10/10/1990 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade ”1335”, # 154 $ 8 250 -
The Couple
B.246circa1943Oil on canvas51,1 x 41,5 cm (20 1/8 x 16 3/8 in)(Le couple)Lempicka's fascination with movie studios may have inspired this painting.Collections1950 - Purchased directly by Sr E. de la Medina - Mexico
1988 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions06/10/1988 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Gabrielle-6668”, # 134 $ 0 -
Woman with Blue Scarf
B.247circa1944Oil on mansonite45,7 x 37,8 cm (18 x 14 7/8 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Femme à l'écharpe bleue)Collections1983 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.
1985 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, JapanAuctions13/11/1985 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Rudolf-6020", # 338 $ 16 000 -
Movie Face
B.248circa1944Oil on canvas22 x 16 cm (8 5/8 x 6 1/4 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Visage de cinéma)Just a few years apart from "Portrait of Mrs. G." of 1930 (B.138), to which it bears easy comparison, this little portrait brings to mind an American thriller.Collections1988 - Private collection - France -
The Rose Hat
B.249circa1944Oil on canvas on cardboard30,5 x 20,3 cm (12 x 8 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Le chapeau à la rose)The source of light from below the face has a certain cinematographic effect. The face is reminiscent of the one so mysteriously portrayed in "The Green Turban" (B.114).Collections1981 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, Japan -
Redheaded Girl and Garland of Roses
B.250circa1944Oil on canvas30,5 x 22,9 cm (12 x 9 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (top right)(Jeune fille rousse et guirlande de roses)Collections1990 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions21/02/1990 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade ”1309”, # 116 $ 22 000 -
Still Life with Lilies and Photo
B.251circa1944Oil on canvas61 x 50,8 cm (24 x 20 in)(Nature morte avec lys et photo)The still life-with-photograph theme reappears one last time here. The face in the medallion is the same as in the preceding (B.250) "Redheaded Girl and Garland of Roses".Collections1985 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions14/06/1985 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's "5358-Plage”, # 105 $ 4 950 -
Still Life with Lily and Gray Drape
B.252circa1944Oil on canvas65 x 54 cm (25 5/8 x 21 1/4 in)T.LEMPICKA (top right)(Nature morte au lys et au drapé gris)A lily stalk in a crystal decanter stands out against the purple drape, while a cascade of gray satin takes up the painting's right side. The whole thing could be a shop window at Tiffany's.Collections1990 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.
1994 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, Italy
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Still Life with Pink Fabric and Lilies
B.253circa1944Oil on canvas65 x 54 cm (25 5/8 x 21 1/4 in)LEMPICKA (in a cartouche top right)(Nature morte avec étoffe rose et lys)A work that is a pendant to, and almost symmetrical with, the preceding painting.Collections1994 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.
1994 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, Italy
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
The Gray Turban I
B.2541945Oil on canvas30,5 x 25,4 cm (12 x 10 in)LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche top right)(Le turban gris * I)This painting appears on the poster for Lempicka's show at the Paris (avenue Matignon) gallery André Weill, in 1945.Collections1945 - Purchased directly by Mr. Gino Puglisi - Italy
1992 - Private collection -Exhibitions1955 - Galerie André Weill, "Hélène Gallet et Tamara de Lempicka", Paris, France -
The Gray Turban II
B.2551945Oil on plywood30 x 24 cm (11 3/4 x 9 1/2 in)LEMPICKA. /1945. (in a cartouche top right)(Le turban gris * II)The date "1945" was added in pencil under the artist's painted signature.Collections1976 - Musée départemental de l'Oise, Beauvais - FranceExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Profile of Woman with Scarf
B.256circa1945Oil on canvas(Femme de profil au foulard) -
Hands Study
B.257circa1945Oil on canvas20,3 x 25,5 cm (8 x 10 in)(Etude de mains)Collections1960 - Purchased directly by Sr E. de la Medina - Mexico
1989 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions09/05/1989 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Eric-6811”, # 125 $ 2 600 -
The Closed Gate
B.2581945Oil on canvas20,3 x 25,5 cm (8 x 10 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(La grille fermée *)Lempicka reworked this painting's background and signature during the seventies.Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - MexicoExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Woman with Red and White Turban
B.259circa1945Oil on canvas33 x 28 cm (13 x 11 in)(Femme au turban rouge et blanc)Christie's New York asserts: "Painted in 1942".Collections1992 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions10/11/1992 - NEW YORK. Christie's East “Beat-7363”, # 42 $ 6 000 -
Girl with Pansies
B.260circa1945Oil on canvas25,4 x 20,3 cm (10 x 8 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Jeune fille aux pensées)Auctions17/04/1984 - LONDON. Christie's “Ritz” 2879, # 285 $ 4 650 -
Adele with a Turban
B.261circa1945Oil on canvas21,5 x 15,2 cm (8 1/2 x 6 in)(Adèle au turban)The inscription "Adele" on the back of this work is no doubt the model's first name.Collections1994 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
The Orange Turban
B.262circa1945Oil on canvas27 x 22 cm (10 5/8 x 8 5/8 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Le turban orange *)Certainly, this is the subject which earned the most replicas by the hand of Lempicka. In Lempicka's eyes, it must have represented her determination to avoid undermining the Renaissance masters. A photographic aquatint of this work was printed.Collections1955 - Purchased directly by Mr. & Mrs. Van den - BelgiumExhibitions1955 - Galerie André Weill, "Hélène Gallet et Tamara de Lempicka", Paris, France
1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, Japan
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
The Orange Turban II
B.263circa1945Oil on canvas27 x 22 cm (10 5/8 x 8 5/8 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Le turban orange II)This work has been backdated, on the back, to June 1935. This date seems unlikely, since, except for the background, this painting - belonging to the Lempicka donation to the Museums of France in 1976 - is the exact replica of its twin (same date, same format).Collections1976 - Musée des Beaux-Arts du Havre - FranceExhibitions1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, Italy -
The Orange Turban III
B.264circa1945Oil on canvas42 x 33 cm (16 1/2 x 13 in)(Le turban orange III)Collections1991 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions05/11/1991 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Audrey-7247”, # 192 $ 11 000 -
Figure with Turban
B.265circa1945Oil on canvas24 x 19 cm (9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Figure au turban)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - MexicoExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
The Pink Turban
B.266circa1945Oil on cardboard25,5 x 20,3 cm (10 x 8 in)(Le turban rose)During the forties, Lempicka was haunted by a new - youthful and mysterious - face type.Collections1950 - Purchased directly by Mr. Gino Puglisi - Italy
1992 - Private collection - -
Portrait of Chacha
B.267circa1946Oil on canvas on cardboard30,5 x 25,4 cm (12 x 10 in)(Portrait de Chacha)Chacha was Lempicka's granddaughter. Just as her own grandmother had done for her, Lempicka took Chacha to visit various museums in Italy.Collections1980 - Lempicka Estate - U.S.A. -
Amethyst
B.2681946Oil on canvas76,2 x 63,5 cm (30 x 25 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. 46. (bottom right)(Améthyste *)The color mauve ("amethyst") began cropping up in Lempicka's works at about this time. This color became dominant in her oeuvre during the late sixties: a cold color, that makes us want to shiver at the sight of this so far too lightly clothed girl, in the chill of early morning.Collections1946 - Purchased directly by Mr. A. Atwater Ken - U.S.A.
1985 - Private collection - SwitzerlandAuctions18/10/1985 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's "5372-Mistral”, # 49 $ 20 500 -
Still Life with Apples and Lemons
B.269circa1946Oil on canvas30,5 x 40,6 cm (12 x 16 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Nature morte aux pommes et citrons)Half landscape and half still life, this composition very sensually combines the shimmering play of light on silk, and the fullness of ripe fruit.Collections1980 - Private collection - FranceExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Apples and Lemons Study
B.270circa1946Oil on canvas33 x 40,6 cm (13 x 16 in)(Etude de pommes et citrons)Study of spherical and ovoid shapes.Collections1970 - Galerie du Luxembourg - France
1979 - Private collection - France -
The Key and the Egg
B.2711946Oil on canvas28 x 21 cm (11 x 8 1/4 in)LEMPICKA (pencilled top left)(La clé et l'œuf)Here again, Lempicka's still life presents an enigma.Collections1985 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, Japan -
A Trompe-l'oeil Painting with a Botticelli
B.272circa1946Oil on wood panel41 x 33 cm (16 1/8 x 13 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Trompe-l’œil au Botticelli)A reproduction of a Madonna by Botticelli has been thumbtacked to the wood panel (the background is not painted), and a key hangs from a ribbon to the right, achieving a trompe-l'oeil effect. The message could not be clearer: the key to Art lies in the works of the Renaissance masters.Collections1985 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1955 - Galerie André Weill, "Hélène Gallet et Tamara de Lempicka", Paris, France
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
The Key
B.273circa1946Oil on canvas48,3 x 35,6 cm (19 x 14 in)(empty cartouche top right)(La clé *)This strange and morbid composition speaks of unresolved anxieties. Is this the same book that "Wisdom" (B.221) - painted several years before - is reading?Collections1989 - Private collection - Germany -
Surrealist Hand
B.274circa1947Oil on canvas71,1 x 50,8 cm (28 x 20 in)(Main surréaliste)The same cast of a flayed hand appears in "The Key" (B.273).Collections1989 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions05/10/1989 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Peter-6908”, # 149 $ 13 000
20/04/1996 - PHILADELPHIA. Freeman Fine Arts, # 1197 $ 12 000 -
City of Rocks I
B.275circa1947Oil on canvas35,6 x 25,4 cm (14 x 10 in)DE LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Ville des rochers * I)This work and the following one (B.276) are rather untypical of Lempicka's work: she confided that they were inspired by the war that had devastated Europe.Collections1987 - Private collection - FranceAuctions23/11/1987 - PARIS. Loudmer, # 124 $ 4 850
05/05/1986 - PARIS. Renaud., # 26 $ 0 -
City of Rocks II
B.276circa1947Oil on canvas on cardboard35,6 x 25,4 cm (14 x 10 in)(Ville des rochers * II)Collections1993 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions05/10/1989 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Peter-6908”, # 148 $ 11 000
26/02/1993 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1423”, # 96 $ 9 500 -
Orchid in the Cuernevaca Forest
B.277circa1947Oil on canvas65 x 54 cm (25 5/8 x 21 1/4 in)LEMPICKA (bottom right)(Orchidée dans la forêt de Cuernavaca)Lempicka never reverted to this very atypical stylistic approach.Collections1994 - Private collection - ItalyAuctions13/12/1990 - MILANO. Finarte 0-12-040, # 461 $ 85 500
10/03/1992 - MILANO. Nuova Breraarte, # 65 $ 0
19/11/1992 - ROME. Finarte, 2-11-097, # 262 $ 52 100
21/06/1994 - MILANO. Finarte, "906", # 313 $ 50 200 -
The Mexican Woman
B.278circa1947Oil on plywood50,8 x 40,5 cm (20 x 16 in)(La mexicaine *)This work is almost a repeat of "Wisdom" (B.221), which was painted seven years before. Seven trying years, judging from the rags worn by the young woman, and her look of disillusionment, by contrast with the serenity emanating from the earlier of the two.Collections1982 - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes - FranceExhibitions1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, Italy
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Portrait of Beautiful M. I
B.2791948Oil on canvas92 x 60 cm (36 1/4 x 23 5/8 in)(Portrait de la belle M. * I)Collections1992 - Private collection - FranceAuctions25/02/1992 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Cavallini-7408”, # 53 $ 19 000
03/05/1992 - PARIS. Libert, Castor, # 47 $ 0
10/02/1993 - PARIS. Loudmer, # 61 $ 0
17/06/1992 - circa AILLES. Machoïr & Bailly, # 106 $ 30 200 -
Portrait of Beautiful M. II
B.280circa1948Oil on canvas81 x 60 cm (31 7/8 x 23 5/8 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Portrait de la belle M. * II)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - MexicoExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Portrait in da Vinci's Taste
B.281circa1948Oil on canvas35 x 27 cm (13 3/4 x 10 5/8 in)(Portrait dans le goût de Vinci)In this work, Lempicka uses a mirror to recapture numerous elements from Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of Ginevra Benci. In Lempicka's circa ion, however, the aristocratic model is granted full lips, in the place of the rather enigmatic pout attributed to her by da Vinci.CollectionsPrivate collection - U.S.A. -
Portrait after Dürer
B.282circa1948Oil on canvas34 x 28 cm (13 3/8 x 11 in)(Portrait d'aprés Dürer)Based on Dürer's very virile portrait of a man (cf. his "Lamentation of Christ"), Lempicka depicts a slightly androgynous, and quite timeless, figure.Collections1980 - Lempicka Estate - U.S.A. -
The Coffeepot
B.2831949Oil on mansonite40,6 x 50,8 cm (16 x 20 in)LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche top right)(La cafetière)Collections1985 - Private collection - U.S.A.Exhibitions1941 - Julien Levy Galleries, "Tamara de Lempicka", Los Angeles, United States
1942 - Milwaukee Art Center, "Tamara de Lempicka (Baroness Kuffner)", Milwaukee, United States
1961 - Galerie Ror-Volmar, "T. de Lempicka, œuvres récentes et anciennes, 1930-1960", Paris, FranceAuctions21/02/1985 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's "5291-Valentine”, # 69 $ 7 700 -
The Bowl of Grapes
B.2841949Oil on canvas30,5 x 35,6 cm (12 x 14 in)LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche top right)(La coupe de raisin)Lempicka's overall handling of this subject, and the signature on the cartouche, link this still life to the next two works (B.285 et B.286), dated 1949.Collections1976 - Musée National d'Art Moderne - Paris -
Fruits in a Bowl I
B.2851949Oil on canvas on cardboard30,5 x 40,6 cm (12 x 16 in)LEMPICKA. 1949 (in a cartouche bottom left)(Fruits dans une coupe I)Collections1976 - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes - FranceExhibitions1955 - Galerie André Weill, "Hélène Gallet et Tamara de Lempicka", Paris, France
1981 - Seibu, "Tamara de Lempicka", Tokyo-Osaka, Japan
1994 - Accademia di Francia (Villa Medici), "Tamara de Lempicka/ Tra eleganza e trasgressione", Rome, Italy -
Still Life of Fruits and Silk Drape
B.2861949Oil on canvas39,5 x 48,3 cm (15 1/2 x 19 in)LEMPICKA./1949 (in a cartouche bottom right)(Nature morte de fruits et drapé de soie)A wide-striped silk square again acts as a support to this magnificent still life.Collections1986 - Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery, Univer - U.S.A. -
Still Life with Seashells
B.287circa1949Oil on canvas39,4 x 48,3 cm (15 1/2 x 19 in)(Nature morte aux coquillages)Silk, mother-of-pearl, and Murano glassware all join in a symphonic play of shimmering light achieved by a virtuoso painter. This work is a pendant to the 1949 still life preceding it (B.286), even if it shows more stylistic affinity with "Seashell" of 1941 (B.229).Collections1949 - Unknown collection - -
Lilies and Yellow Roses
B.288circa1949Oil on canvas33 x 24 cm (13 x 9 1/2 in)LEMPICKA (bottom right)(Lys et roses jaunes)A study.Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
Hands and Flowers
B.289circa1949Oil on canvas31,5 x 25 cm (12 3/8 x 9 7/8 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom left)(Mains et fleurs)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - MexicoExhibitions1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Hand Holding a Spray of Flowers
B.290circa1949Oil on canvas23 x 28 cm (9 x 11 in)(Main tenant une gerbe de fleurs)Collections1980 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Fruit Bowl
B.291circa1949Oil on canvas49 x 36 cm (19 1/4 x 14 1/8 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Coupe de fruits)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
Study after Botticelli
B.292circa1950Oil on canvas22,9 x 30,5 cm (9 x 12 in)T.LEMPICKA (bottom right)(Etude d'aprés Botticelli)Painted on unbleached linen left as such.Collections1980 - Private collection - Mexico
1995 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.Exhibitions1996 - Barry Friedman Ltd. "Tamara de Lempicka", New-York, United States -
Study after Caravaggio
B.293circa1950Oil on canvas25,5 x 20,3 cm (10 x 8 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Etude d'aprés le Caravage)Pendant to the preceding painting (B.292).Collections1980 - Private collection - Mexico
1995 - Barry Friedman Ltd. - U.S.A.Exhibitions1996 - Barry Friedman Ltd. "Tamara de Lempicka", New-York, United States -
Sketch of a Female Figure
B.294circa195024 x 19 cm (9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in)(Esquisse d'une figure féminine)A work left at the sketch stage.Collections1980 - Lempicka Estate - U.S.A. -
Figure Study
B.295circa1950Oil on cardboard22 x 16 cm (8 5/8 x 6 1/4 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Etude de figure)Collections1970 - Private collection - France -
Bouquet of Tulips and Cast of a Hand
B.296circa1950Oil on canvas35,5 x 31 cm (14 x 12 1/4 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (top right)(Bouquet de tulipes et moulage de main)The mauve background looks as if it was added in the late sixties.Collections1950 - Purchased directly by Mr. Gino Puglisi - Italy
1992 - Private collection -
Antique Cast with Dove
B.297circa1950Oil on canvas41 x 33 cm (16 1/8 x 13 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (artist's stamp bottom right)(Plâtre d'antique à la colombe)The return of the white dove... here performing a mysterious act. The plaster model appears on a photo by Willy Maywald (DOC.75).Collections1987 - Private collection -HistoryThe symbol of DOVE, Biography, Psychology: The dove first appears in Lempicka's portrait of her daughter as "The Communicant" (B.102); it recurs in several works. As the symbol of purity and peace, Aphrodite's bird is also depicted as the messenger of desire (see "Nude with Dove" [B.104] and "Myrto [B.118]). When dead, it of course means that the love message was not heard ("Woman with Dove", B.153).Auctions01/07/1987 - LONDON. Sotheby's “ Berck”, # 277 $ 41 700 -
Night Scene
B.2981950Oil on canvas56 x 66 cm (22 x 26 in)Kuffner (on the back of the canvas)(Paysage de nuit *)The artist pays tribute to the Renaissance with this strange, somewhat Surrealist "arrangement" of the bust of David by Andréa del Verrochio. The dubious pendants were slightly enlarged in Lempicka's circa ion.Collections1950 - Purchased directly by Mr. Gino Puglisi - Italy
1992 - Private collection -Exhibitions1950 - Salon des Femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs, Paris, France -
The Guitarist
B.299circa1951Oil on canvas(La guitariste)Collections1951 - Unknown collection - -
The Reader I
B.300circa1951Oil on canvas78,7 x 56 cm (31 x 22 in)T.DE LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche bottom left)(La liseuse I)Dressed in a Flemish costume, a young lady is shown reading, or rather leafing through, a book. The background decor brings to mind the apartment in New York (Doc.73) where Lempicka set herself up in 1942.Collections1980 - Lempicka Estate - U.S.A.HistoryThe duplex apart. on FIFTY SEVENTH STREET, Addresses: Excerpt taken from Casas e Gente (Houses and People), No., 1989: "In 1942, after a short stay in Hollywood, the Kuffners bought a duplex apartment at 322 East 57th Street in New York, where they resided until the baron's death in 1962. Tamara chose the same "palette" to decorate her new residence as for her Parisian studio, subtle gradations of gray and yellow... Instead of the contemporary style she had so loved, the new furnishings were composed of Italian Rococo antiques. -
Hotel Room
B.301circa1951Oil on canvas66 x 45,7 cm (26 x 18 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Chambre d'hôtel)After arums, tulips were certainly Lempicka's favorite flowers.Collections1990 - Private collection - ItalyAuctions24/10/1990 - MILANO. Finarte, ”754”, # ? $ 143 600 -
Interior
B.302circa1951Oil on cardboard40,5 x 30,5 cm (16 x 12 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Interieur )Collections1950 - Purchased directly by Mr. Gino Puglisi - Italy
1992 - Private collection - -
The Gray Armchair
B.303circa1951Oil on canvas31,5 x 24,5 cm (12 3/8 x 9 5/8 in)(Le fauteuil gris)A corner of the Kuffner's New York apartment (DOC.73).Collections1980 - Private collection - U.S.A. -
Nude with Straw Hat
B.304circa1951Oil on canvas61 x 45,7 cm (24 x 18 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Nu au chapeau de paille)Lempicka, who collected hats, wears the same wide roll-rimmed hat as her model, on a photo taken in 1939 (see "Anonymous. Lempicka seated", DOC.66).Collections1989 - Private collection - FranceAuctions18/02/1988 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “5687-Twinkie”, # 119 $ 0
23/06/1989 - PARIS. Charbonneaux., # 53 $ 59 400 -
Nude with Cut Arm
B.305circa1951Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,6 cm (20 x 16 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Nu au bras coupé)This very strange study inclines us to see a parody of synthesis, between the flesh and blood model here, and the ancient cast with a cut arm that appears in the preceding painting (B.304).Collections1990 - Galleria Maray - U.S.A.Auctions17/02/1988 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1232”, # 12 $ 3 575 -
Standing Nude, Seen from Behind
B.306circa1951Oil on canvas45,7 x 35,6 cm (18 x 14 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Nu debout, vu de dos)Collections1979 - Galleries Maurice Sternberg - U.S.A.
1994 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions09/05/1994 - NEW YORK. Christie's East “Beth-7553”, # 159 $ 26 000
19/01/1979 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “4204”, # 50 $ 1 300 -
Nude with Pitcher I
B.307circa1951Oil on canvas61 x 50 cm (24 x 19 5/8 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom right)(Nu à la cruche I)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
At the Theater
B.308circa1951Oil on canvas41 x 33 cm (16 1/8 x 13 in)(Au théatre)Here, Lempicka reverts, in far more sedate manner, to the subject of her 1941 painting "At the Opera" (B.222).Collections1993 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions26/02/1993 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade “1423”, # 90 $ 10 000 -
Portrait of a Girl
B.309circa1951Oil on canvas27 x 22 cm (10 5/8 x 8 5/8 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom left)(Portrait d'une jeune fille)Collections1980 - Fundacion Victor Manuel Contreras - Mexico -
Androgynous Figure
B.310circa1952Oil on canvas on cardboard17,5 x 13 cm (6 7/8 x 5 1/8 in)(Figure androgyne)A charming figure with piercing eyes.Collections1980 - Lempicka Estate - U.S.A. -
Woman with Hat
B.3111952Oil on canvas91,4 x 61 cm (36 x 24 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom left and DE LEMPICKA. top right)(Femme au chapeau *)Lempicka pencilled its title onto the back of this painting, once again underscoring her enthusiasm for such a circa atile fashion accessory as hats. The hat featured here is one of the artist's own creations; it is on display at the Paris Musée de la Mode, to which she donated it.Collections1976 - Musée d'Art Moderne de St Etienne - FranceExhibitions1961 - Galerie Ror-Volmar, "T. de Lempicka, œuvres récentes et anciennes, 1930-1960", Paris, France
1997 - Hiroshima Museum of Arts. Tamara de Lempicka, Tokyo-Hiroshima, Japan -
Girl with White Shawl
B.312circa1952Oil on canvas45,7 x 35,5 cm (18 x 14 in)(Jeune fille au châle blanc)The face was never completed.Collections1990 - Private collection - FranceAuctions18/02/1990 - PARIS. Charbonneaux., # 19 $ 19 900
17/12/1989 - PARIS. Charbonneaux. Drouot Montaigne, # 14 $ 0 -
Oranges in a Basket
B.313circa1952Oil on canvas on cardboard37 x 47,5 cm (14 5/8 x 18 3/4 in)LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche top right)(Oranges dans un panier)Collections1989 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions07/10/1989 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade ”1296”, # 114 $ 0 -
Grapes in a Basket
B.314circa1952Oil on canvas on cardboard20,3 x 25,5 cm (8 x 10 in)LEMPICKA. (top right)(Raisins dans un panier)Collections1990 - Collection of Mr. et Mrs. Augier - FranceAuctions21/02/1990 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's Arcade ”1309”, # 123 $ 9 000 -
Bouquet in a Bowl
B.315circa1952Oil on canvas27 x 35 cm (10 5/8 x 13 3/4 in)LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche bottom right)(Bouquet dans une coupe)Collections1952 - Purchased directly by Mr. Spiros Skouras - U.S.A.Auctions13/06/1980 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “4395”, # 468 $ 0 -
Vase with Flowers
B.316circa1952Oil on canvas40,6 x 30,5 cm (16 x 12 in)LEMPICKA. (bottom left)(Vase de fleurs)Collections1988 - Private collection - SwitzerlandAuctions06/10/1988 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Gabrielle-6668”, # 61 $ 30 000
23/11/1996 - LUZERN. Galerie Auktion Burkard "42", # 67 $ 23 790 -
Roses in a Vase
B.317circa1952Oil on canvas50,8 x 40,5 cm (20 x 16 in)(Roses dans un vase)Collections1955 - Purchased directly by Sr E. de la Medina - Mexico
1989 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions16/02/1989 - NEW YORK. Christie's “Vicki-6762”, # 62 $ 20 000 -
Apple, Quince, Grapes I
B.318circa1952Oil on canvas30,5 x 40,5 cm (12 x 16 in)LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche bottom right)(Pomme, coing, raisins I)Collections1952 - Purchased directly by Mr. Gino Puglisi - Italy
1992 - Private collection - -
Apple, Grapes I
B.319circa1952Oil on canvas30,5 x 40,6 cm (12 x 16 in)LEMPICKA (in a cartouche top right)(Pomme, raisins I)Collections1955 - Purchased directly by Mr. Gino Puglisi - Italy
1992 - Private collection - -
Bowl, Drapery, Fruits
B.320circa1952Oil on canvasLEMPICKA (in a cartouche top right)(Coupe, drapé, fruits)Collections1952 - Unknown collection -
Still Life with Succulent
B.321circa1952Oil on canvas on cardboard24 x 18 cm (9 1/2 x 7 1/8 in)(Nature morte à la plante grasse)Collections1969 - Private collection - France -
Still Life with Lemons
B.322circa1952Oil on canvas35,5 x 56 cm (14 x 22 in)LEMPICKA. (in a cartouche top left)(Nature morte aux citrons)This austere, altar-like composition, brings to mind the pure lines of still lifes by Georges Rohner.Collections1980 - Private collection - U.S.A.Auctions13/06/1980 - NEW YORK. Sotheby's “4395”, # 467 $ 2 500