People: Aug. 23, 1982

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A throwback to the elegance of the Russia whence he came, Erte has been for eight decades both a witness to and an influence on the style and tone of the 20th century. The designer for the Folies-Bergère, the Ziegfeld Follies, George White's Scandals and the illustrator of every Harper's Bazaar cover from 1915 to 1936, Erte continues today to work in his Paris home, creating his fine-lined, Beardsley-esque drawings; only last June, Der Rosenkavalier, featuring his sets and costumes, was performed at England's Glyndebourne Opera Festival. And at the time of his 90th birthday in November, the artist will be honored with major retrospectives in five U.S. cities. Even at his age, Erte can write such future dates in his appointment book with confidence, a fact that he credits to daily lifting of the small weights he carries In a special briefcase wherever he goes. "My father taught me to use them when I was seven," he says. "Weightlifting prolongs body movement, and I've always been interested in keeping my body svelte." And his eye keen.

— By E.Graydon Carter