Art Deco (1920–1940)
Art Deco emerged in the early 20th century, flourishing between c. 1920 and 1940, particularly in the period between the two World Wars.
The movement takes its name from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris in 1925, which showcased the new style to an international audience.
Art Deco was centred in France, but rapidly spread across Europe and the United States, influencing architecture, design, fashion, advertising, and fine art. Major centres included Paris, New York, London, and Miami.
The driving force behind Art Deco was a desire to express modern life, technological progress, and luxury. Unlike Arts and Crafts, Art Deco embraced industrial production and modern materials, combining craftsmanship with mass production.
The style is characterised by strong geometry, symmetry, rich colours, stylised forms, and references to speed, travel, and the machine age.
Artworks to be inspired by-
You may like to try to reproduce Tamara de Lemoicka's artwork. I will be inspired by the ceramic designs of Eric Slater.
Tamara de Lempicka – Portrait of Madame M.
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Date: 1932
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Medium: Oil on canvas
Portrait of Madame M. presents a stylish, modern woman rendered with sharp contours, polished surfaces, and sculptural form. The figure appears powerful and self-possessed, set against an urban backdrop that suggests modern life and sophistication.
The painting captures Art Deco’s fascination with glamour, modernity, and luxury. Lempicka’s smooth, highly finished surfaces, bold geometry, and classical influences fused with modern themes epitomise the movement’s blend of elegance and machine-age precision.
Her work reflects Art Deco’s celebration of speed, progress, fashion, and confidence, particularly in its depiction of modern women.
Eric Slater (1902–1984) was a British artist, designer and potter whose work spanned ceramics, printmaking and illustration. Trained at the Royal College of Art, he developed a distinctive visual language based on strong line, pattern and close observation of the natural world.
He is best known for his ceramic designs for Poole Pottery from the 1920s to the 1950s. These works feature stylised birds, fish, foliage and abstract motifs, often arranged in rhythmic patterns and painted with rich glazes and carefully controlled colour. His pottery reflects influences from modernism and Art Deco while retaining a strong sense of hand craftsmanship.
Alongside ceramics, Slater produced wood engravings and linocuts depicting landscapes, animals and rural life. Across all media, his work is characterised by clarity, balance and a refined graphic quality, securing his place as an important figure in twentieth-century British applied and graphic arts.
Artists to Research:
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Tamara de Lempicka
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A.M. Cassandre
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Jean Dupas
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Érté (Romain de Tirtoff)
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Sonia Delaunay
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Paul Poiret
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Jean Dunand
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Clarice Cliff
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Raymond Hood (architecture)
Other Research:
Learn more about Eric Slater's Woodcut prints, click here.
An interesting piece 'Eric Slater: the Sussex Hokusai'