Long before Madonna donned her iconic funnel-breasted bustier and claimed feminist ideals, the pioneering painter Tamara de Lempicka was already making waves in the art world. Renowned for her striking portraits that captured sculptural women and enigmatic aristocrats during the tumultuous years between the World Wars, Lempicka’s work embodies the fierce spirit and lavish lifestyle of 1920s Paris, the city where she first achieved fame.
Drawing inspiration from the last echoes of Cubism, Lempicka forged a unique style characterized by a distinct geometric realism. Despite the seemingly austere and rigid lines of her canvases, her portraits pulsate with a vivid humanity, akin to the Tin Man’s quest for a heart in The Wizard of Oz.
Throughout the years, her art has captivated many, including Barbra Streisand, who collected her works in the 1970s. By the late 1980s, Madonna was channeling Lempicka’s sleek eroticism in her music videos and personal style. Recently, the Broadway musical Lempicka even portrayed her as a visionary feminist, with lyrics proclaiming: “I created for myself something that the world had never seen. I painted what a woman could be.” (Though the musical had a brief run, closing after only 41 performances, its spirit captured the essence of Lempicka’s influence.)
This enduring legacy is both celebrated and interrogated in the exhibition titled “Tamara de Lempicka” at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, which marks the painter’s first comprehensive survey in the United States.
Curated by Gioia Mori, a noted scholar of Lempicka, alongside Furio Rinaldi, a curator at the de Young, the exhibition features over 100 paintings and drawings. It showcases Lempicka’s bold, Sapphic, and sensational style, revealing both the artistic rigor that defined her work and the vibrant life that fueled her creativity.
As we explore this captivating exhibition, we are invited to witness the pulsating heart of Lempicka’s art, reminding us of the powerful interplay between the artist’s life and her groundbreaking contributions to modern art.
