Double 47 - Tamara de Lempicka

A striking 1927 Art Deco portrait by Tamara de Lempicka, featuring two figures rendered with sculptural precision and cool, geometric modernism.

Tamara de Lempicka, a central figure of the Art Deco movement, painted Double 47 in 1927. This work displays her characteristic approach to portraiture, which combines the precision of neoclassical form with the sharp, angular geometry of modernism. The composition features two figures, their faces rendered with a sculptural quality that suggests the influence of Renaissance masters, yet their styling is distinctly of the interwar period. The figures are depicted with bobbed hairstyles and a cool, detached expression. Lempicka uses a palette dominated by deep blues and contrasting flesh tones, creating a sense of volume and weight. The background is simplified into geometric planes, which pushes the subjects forward and emphasises their presence. The inclusion of the number 47, repeated in the upper right, adds a graphic element that aligns with the aesthetic of the era, where typography and fine art began to intersect more frequently. Lempicka was known for her ability to capture the glamour and the underlying tension of the Parisian social scene. Her technique involves smooth, almost invisible brushwork, which gives the skin a polished, metallic appearance. This method creates a sense of artificiality that is intentional, reflecting the constructed nature of identity in the 1920s. The figures do not engage with the viewer, but rather exist within their own private, enclosed space. This work is a clear example of the artist's ability to synthesise traditional portrait techniques with the machine-age sensibilities of her time. It remains a representative piece of her output during her most productive years in Paris, where she became the preferred portraitist for the elite.