Tamara de Lempicka: Art Deco Icon and Infamous Socialite

Learn the turbulent story of the “Baroness with a brush”, and how it shaped her iconic Art Deco portrait paintings of glamor, privilege, and performance

Tamara de Lempicka told stories of inter-war high society through bold, shimmering portraits. Born at the turn of the twentieth century, she began exhibiting in the roaring twenties—and her work did roar, with high-contrast, metallic bodies draped in luxe fabrics.

But she was not always what she seemed. To mark the anniversary of the controversial artist's birthday, learn what type of art she created, what inspired her paintings, the trivia behind her famous self-portrait, and more with nine must-know facts about the Art Deco icon.

1. She was part of the Art Deco movement

This visual art style appeared in France after World War I. It celebrated progress and prosperity with a hopeful yet domineering feel: tall buildings, monotone color schemes, and the impression of wealth.

De Lempicka was born in 1898 Poland to a lawyer and socialite, and was exposed to a decadent youth. However, during the Russian Revolution, she and her husband fled to Paris. She undertook formal art training to make money, and began exhibiting her work in salons.

2. She was known as the “Baroness with a Brush”

De Lempicka enjoyed a reputation as a socialite, attending parties and meeting powerful people—especially as her career grew. Her second husband was the one who gave her the title of Baroness, but her first husband was a lawyer named Tadeusz Lempicki, whose name she would also use in a creative way…

3. She was a master of self-reinvention and deception

All was not as it seemed with de Lempicka: she told artful lies in order to build her legacy. Her real name was Tamara Rosalia Gurwik-Górska, but on arriving in Paris she chose to twist her first husband’s name, Lempicki, into de Lempicka, to sound more aristocratic. In some early works she used the signature Lempitzki, which is the masculine of her name. Finally, she claimed to be a self-taught artist, even though this wasn’t the case.

4. Her mythology bled into her art

De Lempicka wanted to create a new self in Paris and later Hollywood (where her family moved during World War II). She networked extensively, and when some fashion journalists from Harper’s Bazaar in the US saw her work, she suddenly became commercially popular. She illustrated for magazines and other print publications.

Her style is striking and unique, and she once said, “my goal is never to copy”. The clarity and starkness of her work was unusual, and gave her an aura of mystique.

5. Her style contrasted with her bohemian tastes

She was above all a woman of contrast. Her love of the margins of society contrasted with her style. De Lempicka often painted people from the fringes, but depicted them just as she did her richer clients. In her world, everyone shone with glitz and glam, but also harshness.

De Lempicka’s style has post-cubist elements, with neoclassical sculpture clearly impacting her body proportions and sense of grandeur. Every surface is shiny, every fabric is silky. And the subject matter is typical of Art Deco. We see flappers, fancy cars, and clean, bold interior design. Jade green and bright red pops of color often contrast her monochrome backdrops.

6. She lived in different countries for different phases of her life

Aside from finding fame in Paris, she also lived in Italy as a child, and as an adult lived in Hollywood and then New York. Slowly, the Art Deco trend faded and abstract expressionism began. In the fifties and sixties, she experimented with more abstract work, but this never became as popular. After her second husband’s death in 1961, she took cruises around the world and eventually settled in Mexico.

7. She was bisexual, and many of her lovers show up in her work

Alongside her two marriages to men, De Lempicka was known for moving in literary and artistic circles where bisexuality was more common and accepted. She had affairs with both women and men, and often painted them—including a nightclub singer named Suzy Solidor.

Female sexuality is a key theme in her work. Her models often sit or lie seductively, while their expressions are strong, cool, and distant. Her female subjects are unafraid to be themselves fully, freely, and casually.

8. Her most famous work is a geometric masterpiece…and a lie!

One of her most well-known works is Autoportrait, a.k.a. Tamara in a Green Bugatti. It was commissioned for the cover of German fashion magazine Die Dame in 1929, to symbolize women’s freedom.

In the painting, she sits at the wheel of a racing car wearing a flashy scarf and gloves. It’s a carefully curated self-image, but the truth is, the accessories were copied from a photographic cover by weekly magazine Vu a few months prior. Plus, De Lempicka didn’t own a Bugatti, but instead had a small yellow Renault.

9. She began repainting her work at the end of her life

De Lempicka never found the success of her 1920s career again. Though she continued to paint, her work became more abstract, her subjects became more religious, and eventually she started repainting her older works. The last painting she worked on was her fourth version of a painting of St Anthony.

Tamara’s life was complex. She created and recreated herself several times. She painted celebrities and powerful people. She sought fame, attention, and affection, all through the chrome-plated sheen of Art Deco.

Create eye-grabbing imagery with Art Deco styling…

There’s no denying the influence of this iconic style, going beyond portraiture into architecture, poster design, book covers, and more. Even today, we often turn to Art Deco when we want to create a grand and retro-looking image. Check out these resources to learn more and try Art Deco design for yourself.

1. Illustrate a commercial poster in the Art Deco style with this course by Mads Berg.

2. Explore vectors in this minimalist geometric portrait course by María Picassó i Piquer.

3. Learn about graphic design styles from history and see how to apply them to poster designs.

4. Master the human form with these ten free drawing tutorials.