“Passion by Design. The Art and Times of Tamara de Lempicka” is a best-selling book by Kizette de Lempicka-Foxhall.

Tamara de Lempicka’s paintings defined art déco, and her life epitomised the age of jazz. Having escaped from the Russian revolution, the exceptionally talented, ravishingly beautiful, powerful personality forged her own success. In the 1920s, she conquered Paris with her sophisticated portraits of the rich and famous, and the nudes radiating cool eroticism, then led a passionate life in Hollywood, New York, Houston, and Cuernavaca, never parting with a brush.

The book offers an intimate glance into the life and career of the fascinating woman: stories that Tamara told herself to spell-bound listeners. They were collected and edited after the artist’s death by her daughter, Kizette, who assembled them into a complete story of her life with a number of extra biographical and historical details.

This new edition is illustrated with an extended collection of reproductions of Tamara’s paintings, including little-known works and exceptional photographs from family archives. In the introduction, Marisa de Lempicka, the painter’s great-granddaughter, explores the legacy of the pioneering artist, whose paintings now sell for eight figures, and whose style continues to inspire artists in various fields.