Madonna & the Art of Tamara de Lempicka

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

In my class From Muse to Master: Celebrating Women Artists vol. 2 we discuss the portraits of artist Tamara de Lempicka.  Nicknamed “The Baroness with the Brush,” de Lempicka painted the young, liberated women of Europe in the flapper years of the 1920’s.  Drawing on neoclassical female nudes for inspiration, de Lempicka crafted her own unique style that referenced both Cubism and the Art Deco movement.  Her work is synonymous with eroticism, sensuality, power, emotion, sex, and a new definition of femininity.  There are no frail and sickly waifs to be found in the work of The Baroness!

“The Pink Tunic,” 1927

With that in mind, it is no wonder that a large number of de Lempicka paintings are included in the art collection of the Material Girl herself, Madonna.  Madonna’s art collection is massive – some estimate it values around $100 million – and she concedes that de Lempicka’s work holds pride of place.  In fact, you can see Tamara de Lempicka references in some of Madonna’s music videos.

Check out these screenshots from the music video for “Vogue”…

… and these screenshots from the music video for “Open Your Heart.”

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.