Tamara de Lempicka

Born Maria Górska in Warsaw, Tamara de Lempicka, despite popular belief and some posthumous attempts to claim her, appears to have had no Jewish ancestry. Her family was Polish nobility, which, while not a guarantee against Jewishness, certainly didn't lean towards it in early 20th-century Poland. So, if you were hoping for a Jewish Art Deco icon, you might have to keep looking.

Lempicka's life was a whirlwind of social climbing, passionate affairs, and unapologetic self-promotion. She painted the rich and famous, and lived like them too, cultivating an image of glamour and extravagance that perfectly matched her sleek, angular style. Her portraits, often featuring strong, sensual women, were as bold and modern as she was.

While her work fell out of favor for a while, a resurgence of interest in Art Deco cemented her legacy as a significant artist of the 20th century. Her audacious spirit and iconic visuals make her eminently kvel-worthy, even if she doesn't bring any nachas to the tribe. After all, who needs a menorah when you have a masterpiece?