BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Tamara de Lempicka

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Wednesday, 12 May 2004, 09:38 GMT 10:38 UK

In pictures: Tamara de Lempicka

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An exhibition of works by Polish-born artist Tamara De Lempicka is on show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London from Saturday.

Adam and Eve, 1931

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A wealthy socialite, De Lempicka moved to Paris during the World War I and produced many striking paintings during the inter-war years.

Portrait of Ira P, 1930

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Her decorative and decadent style epitomised the glamour and high style of the art deco period.

Arlette Boucard aux Arums, 1931

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Even her softer, more naturalistic paintings featured the harder, geometrical lines associated with the modern age.

Portrait du Comte Vettor Marcello, 1933

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By 1925, De Lempicka had built a reputation for portrait paintings throughout Europe and the US.

La Convalescente, 1932

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Her subjects were often dramatically lit and closely cropped so the sitter dominates the painting.

La Reve (The Dream), 1927

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De Lempicka selected still life models with solid and powerful figures, yet still made them look feminine and alluring.

Potrait of Madame M, 1932

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De Lempicka enjoyed the patronage of Paris' fashionable and wealthy elite after she fled her St Petersburg home in 1917 because of the Bolshevik Revolution.

Maternity, 1928

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She was trained by Cubist painter Andre Lhote and Maurice Denis at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere.

Perspective, 1923

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The Royal Academy exhibition will show many paintings spanning the period from 1922 to the early 1940s that have never been seen before in public.

De Lempicka's studio in Place Wagram c. 1924, by Constantin Stiffter

De Lempicka's studio in Place Wagram c. 1924, by Constantin Stiffter

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De Lempicka was a style icon herself and became great friends with Greta Garbo after she moved to the US in 1939.

Portrait of Romana de la Salle, 1928

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She continued to paint in America but remains most famous for her work symbolising the wealth and glamour of Paris. The exhibition continues until 30 August.

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