Tamara de Lempicka was a Polish Art Deco painter, but spent her life mainly abroad. one of the best artists of her times was known for depicting aristocrats as well as quite a fair amount of nudes.
She used to describe herself as “I was the first woman to make clear paintings” and later told her daughter: “and that was the origin of my success. Among a hundred canvases, mine were always recognizable. The galleries tended to show my pictures in the best rooms, because they attracted people. My work was clear and finished. I looked around me and could only see the total destruction of painting. The banality in which art had sunk gave me a feeling of disgust. I was searching for a craft that no longer existed; I worked quickly with a delicate brush. I was in search of technique, craft, simplicity and good taste. My goal: never copy. Create a new style, with luminous and brilliant colors, rediscover the elegance of my models.”