Romain de Tirtoff, or Erté as he would come to be known (the French pronunciation of his initials), was born in Russia born fashion illustrator and stage set designer, a master of the Art Deco style. Born on November 23, 1892.  The child of aristocratic parents, he was supported in his love of the arts, and his creative talents were nurtured, particularly by his mother for whom he produced his first design at age 6.   In his youth his passion waved between dance and design, but as he recalled in later years, “I came to the conclusion that I could live without dancing, but could not give up my passion for painting and design.”  And how true was that statement, the artist continuing to paint right through to his final days in 1990, when he sadly succumbed to a short illness aged 97 years old.