DOI Heft:
Nr. 99 (June 1901)
DOI Artikel:Some recent examples of the jewellers' art in France
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19788#0041
Jewellers Art in France
of inspiration. The excellence of English work
in the nature of etoffes, wall-papers, and wrought
metals can no more be disputed than can
the influence England has exercised all the
world over in the revival of the industrial arts.
France, for her part, has done as much for the
medal and the jewel. It is not new forms alone
our French medallists and jewel-makers have
produced; they have also spread abroad new
principles for the benefit of all and sundry.
All bias apart, and in absolute justice, it must be
declared that the chief honours in connection with
the renaissance of the "Art du Bijou belong to
M. Rene Lalique. This is neither more nor less brooch by k. lalique
than a bare statement of fact. "To realise the ex-
tent of the revolution that has been brought about, of things existing when M. Lalique set himself to
it is well," says M. Roger Marx, "to recall the state re-create an art which no longer fulfilled our require-
ments. During the Second
Empire, " Society," both
r—--------- French and foreign, was
seized with a mad passion
for brilliants. The frequent
discoveries of diamond
mines, the abundant supply,
g| i A|v stimulated everyone with a
^Al if// desire to appear at the
•? -1L.^v^y> yj/^^ court balls ablaze with
""akl^^E? ^ i^***" precious stones. No matter
^y^*""^f ' -*55?% now tne diamond was cut
^Xfr^&jf' /lfiBSf*iK' or set, so long as it was of
if/ **vV^mI$%. the first water and weighed
J/*f Wfi • a respectable number of
ft" (*^* \
' fm carats! The richness of the
/ material was only equalled
/ by the poverty of the work-
f SvSfer ', manship. Then appeared
f 4 «lk H Massin, whose important
f r W^fc*- share in the new movement
^■pk should not be overlooked ;
^ for he opened up new and
pleasant paths to the jewel
worker—paths so fertile
^ that they were still well-
trodden in 1889. In a
^ report on the subject—one
of much value to the writer
on jewellery—Massin stated
that his own formulae still
formed "the creed of the
practical worker." These
formulas, popularised by
the Exhibition of 1867,
taught people how to
bouquet de corsage by r. lalique fashion a flower, a ribbon,
26
of inspiration. The excellence of English work
in the nature of etoffes, wall-papers, and wrought
metals can no more be disputed than can
the influence England has exercised all the
world over in the revival of the industrial arts.
France, for her part, has done as much for the
medal and the jewel. It is not new forms alone
our French medallists and jewel-makers have
produced; they have also spread abroad new
principles for the benefit of all and sundry.
All bias apart, and in absolute justice, it must be
declared that the chief honours in connection with
the renaissance of the "Art du Bijou belong to
M. Rene Lalique. This is neither more nor less brooch by k. lalique
than a bare statement of fact. "To realise the ex-
tent of the revolution that has been brought about, of things existing when M. Lalique set himself to
it is well," says M. Roger Marx, "to recall the state re-create an art which no longer fulfilled our require-
ments. During the Second
Empire, " Society," both
r—--------- French and foreign, was
seized with a mad passion
for brilliants. The frequent
discoveries of diamond
mines, the abundant supply,
g| i A|v stimulated everyone with a
^Al if// desire to appear at the
•? -1L.^v^y> yj/^^ court balls ablaze with
""akl^^E? ^ i^***" precious stones. No matter
^y^*""^f ' -*55?% now tne diamond was cut
^Xfr^&jf' /lfiBSf*iK' or set, so long as it was of
if/ **vV^mI$%. the first water and weighed
J/*f Wfi • a respectable number of
ft" (*^* \
' fm carats! The richness of the
/ material was only equalled
/ by the poverty of the work-
f SvSfer ', manship. Then appeared
f 4 «lk H Massin, whose important
f r W^fc*- share in the new movement
^■pk should not be overlooked ;
^ for he opened up new and
pleasant paths to the jewel
worker—paths so fertile
^ that they were still well-
trodden in 1889. In a
^ report on the subject—one
of much value to the writer
on jewellery—Massin stated
that his own formulae still
formed "the creed of the
practical worker." These
formulas, popularised by
the Exhibition of 1867,
taught people how to
bouquet de corsage by r. lalique fashion a flower, a ribbon,
26