Art Deco

What is Art Deco?

Art Deco is an ornamental, elegant style built on clean geometric shapes, symmetry and rare, luxurious materials. You will meet it not only in paintings but in architecture, furniture, jewellery and fashion. Can you recall the sleek lines and gloss of old Hollywood films? That is exactly the air Art Deco breathes.

When and how did it come about?

Art Deco ruled the 1920s and 1930s, the interwar years full of optimism, elegance and an appetite for life. It fused a sense of luxury with a more modern, geometric restraint, and so became a symbol of the world of great cities, entertainment and new technology.

Who are its most important figures?

The icon of the style is the painter Tamara de Lempicka, whose elegant portraits with their smooth forms and cool refinement perfectly capture the spirit of the era. Her strikingly stylised female figures became one of the most recognisable images of all Art Deco.

How does it do on the art market?

Art Deco is much in demand on the market, across fields from fine art to design and jewellery. Works by Tamara de Lempicka are among the most sought after and hold record prices, which only confirms how strongly this elegant style still attracts collectors.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club