Erté (Romain de Tirtoff) (1892-1990)Le Printemps, 1956Original gouache on paper heightened with gold, signed in ballpoint pen, with registration number and title in pen on the reverse, and blue inkstamp inscription 'Composition Originale ERTE Roman de Tirtoff,' the full sheet.sheet 14 7/8 x 10 5/8in (37 x 27cm)Footnotes:ProvenanceErté (Romain de Tirtoff)Hélène Martini, ParisHélène de Cressac Martini (1924–2017) was a French striptease artist turned businesswoman and nightclub owner who, at one time, owned a string of cabarets, including the Folies Bergère. She was affectionately known by Parisians as the 'Queen of the Night'. In 1954, she asked Erté to design costumes for herself and her performers. Hélène and Erté became close friends, and he left her his entire collection of his most prized works on paper, including this gouache.