Tamara de Lempicka, born Maria Górska on May 16, 1898, in Warsaw, Poland, was a prominent Art Deco painter, celebrated for her stylishly sleek and bold portraits. Her work is a striking combination of modernity, sensualism, and a powerful sense of individuality, making her a central figure in the artistic circles of the 20th century, particularly during the interwar period. Lempicka was born to a wealthy and prominent family; her father was a Russian Jewish attorney and her mother a Polish socialite. The family's affluence provided Tamara with a cultured upbringing, which included extensive travel around Europe and exposure to art and theater. Her interest in art was cultivated early on, and she received her initial instruction at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, and later at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid. Her life took a dramatic turn with the outbreak of the Russian Revolution in 1917, which led to her family's relocation to Paris. Here, Tamara reinvented herself as a professional artist amidst the city's vibrant avant-garde scene. She married Tadeusz Lempicki in 1916, and although the marriage later ended in divorce, it marked her transition into a more bohemian lifestyle and provided her with the surname under which she gained fame. In Paris, Lempicka quickly became a part of the elite social circles, which included both the intelligentsia and the aristocracy. She was deeply influenced by the work of French painters Maurice Denis and André Lhote, who guided her towards a blend of late neoclassical and cubist styles. Her distinctive technique—characterized by sleek, mechanistic forms, and lush colors—defined the visual aesthetics of the Art Deco movement. Lempicka's portraits, often of wealthy and influential figures, as well as nudes, exemplified a blend of sensuality and precision that was both modern and immensely appealing. Her masterpiece, "Auto-Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti)," epitomizes her persona and style. Created for the cover of the German magazine 'Die Dame' in 1929, it portrays her as a confident, modern woman—both the driver and the driven in the fast-evolving world. The painting not only reflects her personal image and the era's infatuation with speed, luxury, and progress but also solidifies her status as a symbol of female empowerment. Throughout the 1930s, Lempicka's fame and success continued to grow, leading her to exhibit internationally, including in the United States. She relocated to America during World War II, eventually settling in Hollywood where she became the favorite artist of many movie stars. Despite a decline in popularity post-war with the rise of abstract expressionism, she continued to work and exhibit her paintings. In her later years, Lempicka moved to Cuernavaca, Mexico, where she lived until her death on March 18, 1980. Though she witnessed a dwindling interest in her style during her lifetime, posthumously, Tamara de Lempicka's work has been celebrated in numerous retrospectives and remains influential, her art synonymous with the glamour and decadence of the Art Deco period. Today, she is regarded not just as an icon of her era, but also as a pioneer in the modern depiction of women in art.