It doesn't happen often, but this season a piece of Georges Fouquet jewellery goes up for auction. The bracelet is part of a private collection filled with treasures. Included are 15 pieces by Belperron, which are being sold at Christie's in New York.
Made in 1925, the bold gold Fouquet bracelet is illuminated with an emerald cabochon, diamonds, orange topaz and black enamel. It's thoroughly modern, like all of Fouquet's Art Deco jewelry. «An uncompromising work,» is how leading expert and Christie's vice president Claibourne Poindexter succinctly describes it.
It is also surprising that Georges Fouquet was equally adept at producing Art Nouveau jewellery. Something that no one else managed to do in such an impressive way. So it is part of the French jeweller's success in two directions. Something that amounts to a double course in jewellery and came from his decision to collaborate with artists.
A historic recruit for Fouquet was the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. The multi-talented illustrator who worked as creative director for French actress Sarah Bernhart. He was also responsible for the lyrical posters that promoted her performances throughout Paris. He thus established for Fouquet the visual, bold style of jewelry that distinguished the collection from the smaller scale of most Art Nouveau designs.
The collaboration between Fouquet and Mucha included theatrical jewelry for Bernhart. But also pieces for the 1900 World's Fair that established the Art Nouveau movement.
Another sign of George Fouquet's full commitment to Art Nouveau was the company's boutique designed by Mucha. It was located at 6 Rue Royale, which is now housed at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris. All the furniture, jewelry displays and sculptures, such as a peacock behind the counter, were integrated and passed from one element to another.
Fouquet's flair for drama is on display in a brooch with a dragon corsage. One of a series of jewelry pieces measuring 7 ½ inches in length. They were essentially the same shape and size as the diamond and platinum brooches that were popular around 1900. But the similarities end there.
Fouquet's corsage pin is a mystical monster. With a dark and light green enamel that breaks into a whip-like line. The wings are formed by brown enamel plique-à-jour. Moss agate, an emerald and pink freshwater pearls decorate various parts of the piece.
The Art Nouveau movement did not last long. And Georges Fouquet moved on as the style changed. Or perhaps a more accurate description would be that he helped drive the jewelry industry into Art Deco.
As chairman of the jewellery group at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Fouquet worked behind the scenes pushing his colleagues to do something new and different. He also guided the judging committee to select jewelers with vision. He even selected an architect to design an impressive pavilion for their work.
For his company's deco designs, Fouquet has once again chosen to collaborate with artists for important statement pieces.
The painter and poster artist, Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, designed an exceptional pair of Fouquet bracelets in 1925. The bracelets appeared at a Christie's auction in 2017. Lapis lazuli, coral, amethyst and aquamarine in various cuts create a creative geometric view. With large coloured stones in the perforated gold frame.
The bold gold bracelet on sale at Christie's was made around 1925. It is signed on the inside in French «d'après dessin de A.léveillé», meaning after a design by A.léveillé, the artist André Léveillé.
The artist's work has been described as cubist by art historians. While the bracelet is not exactly a Cubist design, it shows a contemporary use of parallel and angular lines that is anything but Art Nouveau. Above all, the striking piece shows how creatively Georges Fouquet led his company through two of the most important movements in jewelry history.
Source: theadventurine.com
