Blue Woman with a Guitar (section)

A woman in a flowing blue dress cradles her instrument against a backdrop of towering skyscrapers, her red lips and manicured nails matching the confidence in her pose. This is the work of Tamara de Lempicka, a Polish born painter who became the face of Art Deco glamour in 1920s and 30s Paris. Her figures always look polished and sculptural, almost like they are carved from stone or metal, and this one is no exception. The way the fabric folds into sharp, smooth planes shows exactly why her style was so recognizable.

Lempicka lived the kind of glamorous life she painted. She moved in fashionable circles, dressed impeccably, and once said she wanted her work to look clean and finished, with no wasted detail. The city skyline behind the musician is a signature touch, tying her modern women to the fast, urban world they belonged to. Worth noticing is the mandolin itself, painted with warm golden tones that stand out against all the cool blue and grey, drawing your eye straight to her busy hands.