Tadeusz Styka (1889–1954) Polish Painter Portrait Of Natacha Rambova Oil/canvas 46x38 Cm

Tadé STYKA (Kielce 1889 – New York 1954)
Portrait of Natacha Rambova
Oil on canvas, signed lower left
Circa 1925
Dimensions without frame: 46 x 38 cm

Tadeusz Styka, known as Tade Styka, wasa famous Polish painter. His father, Jan Styka, was a painter based inFrance and taught his son from a very young age. Tade was considered a prodigy, which earned him awards in Paris and a distinction from the French president at the age of 11. Most notable are his portraits of some of the greatest figures of the first half of the 20th century. He also painted animals and religious scenes. According to some critics, he was one of the greatest portraitists who ever lived. He was awarded the Legion of Honor for his work, the highest distinction bestowed by the French government. Tade Styka died in New York in1954. His most famous painting is probably the equestrian portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, titled “Rough Rider,” which hangs above the fireplace in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
  
As for the painting on display, it is a portrait of Natacha Rambova, born in 1897 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and died in 1966 in Pasadena, California, who was a famous American dancer, screenwriter, and costume designer, also known for having been Rudolph Valentino’s second wife. This portrait was painted in the 1920s.