Rating and value of works, objects and drawings by Erté

If you own a work by Erté, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value. Then, if you wish to sell your property, we will guide you towards the best possible means of obtaining the optimum price. The price of a fashion design can vary according to the year, the collection concerned, or the creation in question.

Rating and value of a work by Erté

Erté's drawings and works of art are haute couture treasures and objets d'art that bear witness to the designer's talent and the history of fashion. The price at which they sell on the art and auction markets ranges from €5,700 to €45,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to your drawings and objets d'art. In 2016, a drawing created for the Harper's cover entitled The Improvised Cage sold for €45,000, exceeding the high estimate by over 400%.

Order of value from classic to most popular design

Reasons to sell a fashion design or an Erté creation

A fashion drawing is a testimony to the history of a fashion house, and is part of the evolution of stylistic creation. They are rare pieces, at the origin of collections that have often marked the history of fashion. For a couturier, the drawing is often the starting point of the creation; the artist's vision is put down on paper for the first time. It allows the genius to take shape and be visualized, so that the garment can be born. These works in their own right are highly prized at auction and sought after by many collectors.

Erté has also created objets d'art that are prized and auctioned.

Erté, a designer at the service of elegance

Romain de Tirtoff was born in Saint Petersburg in 1892. His father was an admiral and his mother, renowned for her elegance, was a great inspiration to him. He read fashion magazines from an early age, and designed his first costumes at the age of five.

Not following the ready-made career his father had planned for him, he studied at the Saint Petersburg Academy and in Répine's studio. In just fifteen years, he moved to Paris. It was then that he took his artist's name, Erté. For his decorative art pieces, he was an early adopter of the Art Nouveau movement. He trained at the Académie Julian and decided to become a designer. He keeps his pseudonym so as not to create a major conflict with his family. He collaborates with Paul Poiret, designing theatrical decorations and ball gowns. At the same time, he produced Indian ink drawings for the Gazette du Bon Temps. He was then poached by Haarper's Bazaar and continued to produce numerous fashion designs and theatrical set concepts. He was very popular while working for this magazine, but left following a dispute with the editor. However, he continued to produce drawings for Vogue France, a magazine with which he had already worked.

In the 60s, he turned to sculpture, producing a number of pieces in bronze, aluminum and other materials, often painted. He was nicknamed the "father of the arts décos".

Erté died in 1990 in Boulogne Billancourt. 

The success of Erté works at auction 

In recent years, haute couture has experienced a golden age that it has rarely known. Erté's designs are particularly representative of this appeal. Although little-known today, he nevertheless exerted a considerable influence on the fashion press of the 20th century. Erté's hand-drawn designs bear witness to his unique stylistic identity and elegance, and allow fashion enthusiasts and collectors to plunge once again into the refined, elegant world of the Franco-Russian designer.

Recognizing an original fashion design

A fashion drawing is a work of art in its own right. Some of them are signed, making it possible to identify the designer. It is also possible to identify an original by comparison with the designer's other productions.

Know the value of your design

If you happen to own a work by Erté, or think you might, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and chartered auctioneers will contact you promptly with an estimate of the market value of your bag, and will provide you with all the relevant information. If you'd like to sell your bag, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.