Designs for jewelry in the style of the Second Empire titled "Jewelers' Album"
Lithograph with designs for jewels of the Second Empire Style, titled "Jewelers' Album", created by Désiré Chalumeau and lithographed by Francis Ratellier in 1868. The designs in the plate consist of a variety of pendants, brooches, bracelets, and earrings, all with design motifs typical of the French Second Empire (1852-1870), which was characterized by extravagant motifs with complex compositions of naturalistic jewelry, composed of clearly recognizable foliage, flowers and fruit, and often presenting frames or roundels with female figures dressed with draped, neoclassical clothes. In many cases, the colors of gemstones used in the creation of the jewels were meant to match those in nature; cabochon gems were popular elements to create complexity in curving and figurative designs, often with symbolic meanings.
In the center is a large frame with scrolls containing a semi-abstract rosette standing over a stylized stem with leaves, all decorated with diammonds and pearls. Above it is an egg-shaped pendant with two horizontal strips of square-cut diamonds, separated by quatrefoils of diamonds, and decorated with pyramids of diamonds and thin, black scrolling motifs above and below; the pendant is decorated with scrolling motifs above, and hangs from a gold rope-shaped necklace. The brooches and earrings around them contain a variety of neoclassical motifs, with small pearls, diamonds, and blue stones, possibly lapislazuli or aquamarine, and more figurative motifs such as shells and cornucopia; two heads of women also make an appearance: one from Egypt, as revealed by her hair, and the other likely imitating the beauty ideal of Greco-Roman antiquity. Finally, there is a pendant with a Christian cross with a nail attached to it, and interlaced by a spine wreath.
In the center is a large frame with scrolls containing a semi-abstract rosette standing over a stylized stem with leaves, all decorated with diammonds and pearls. Above it is an egg-shaped pendant with two horizontal strips of square-cut diamonds, separated by quatrefoils of diamonds, and decorated with pyramids of diamonds and thin, black scrolling motifs above and below; the pendant is decorated with scrolling motifs above, and hangs from a gold rope-shaped necklace. The brooches and earrings around them contain a variety of neoclassical motifs, with small pearls, diamonds, and blue stones, possibly lapislazuli or aquamarine, and more figurative motifs such as shells and cornucopia; two heads of women also make an appearance: one from Egypt, as revealed by her hair, and the other likely imitating the beauty ideal of Greco-Roman antiquity. Finally, there is a pendant with a Christian cross with a nail attached to it, and interlaced by a spine wreath.
Artwork Details
- Title: Designs for jewelry in the style of the Second Empire titled "Jewelers' Album"
- Designer: Desire Chalumeau (American (born France?), ca. 1843–1891)
- Lithographer: Francis Ratellier (American)
- Published in: Leipzig
- Date: 1868
- Medium: Lithograph
- Dimensions: Sheet: 14 1/16 × 10 1/16 in. (35.7 × 25.6 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Object Number: Ref.Ornament.5
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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