Sleeping Woman
1935, oil on canvas
private collection
Tamara de Lempicka (1898 – 1980)
Born into a wealthy and prominent family, her father was a Polish lawyer.
she was bisexual, and her affairs with both men and women were carried out in ways that were scandalous at the time. She often used formal and narrative elements in her portraits and nude studies to produce overpowering effects of desire and seduction.
American singer Madonna is a huge fan and collector of her work.
She has lent out her paintings to events and museums.
Madonna has also featured Lempicka's artwork in her music videos for "Open Your Heart", "Express Yourself", "Vogue" and "Drowned World/Substitute for Love". She also used her paintings on the sets of her 1987 Who's That Girl and 1990 Blond Ambition world tours.
