Young Lady with Gloves (section)

This painting shows a woman in a flowing green dress, one gloved hand raised to touch the brim of her white hat. Painted by Tamara de Lempicka in 1930, it captures the glamour of the Art Deco years, when fashion, speed, and style ruled the imagination. The dress folds and gathers like polished metal, and the sharp geometric shapes in the background give the whole thing a sleek, modern edge. De Lempicka had a knack for making people look almost sculptural, smooth and firm as if carved from stone rather than painted with a brush.

De Lempicka herself lived a life as bold as her art. Born in Poland, she fled the Russian Revolution and rebuilt herself in Paris, painting the wealthy and fashionable while becoming a celebrity in her own right. She loved luxury, drove fast cars, and dressed impeccably, and her portraits reflect that world of confident, independent women. This particular work is one of her most famous, and it lives at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The green dress and the single raised glove sum up her style perfectly: cool, elegant, and just a little bit theatrical.