Designs for Second Empire Jewelry
Lithograph with designs for nineteenth-century jewels in the style 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. The plate contains designs for brooches, pendants, bracelets, an earring, a chatelaine chain and a seal, all with semi-abstract geometric motifs, some also with scrolls, colored with gold ink. Some of the designs also contain green stones, which would have likely been emeralds in the manufactured jewels, and gray stones, likely to represent diamonds in the finalized jewels.
Artwork Details
- Title: Designs for Second Empire Jewelry
- Artist: Delaisement (French (?), 19th century)
- Lithographer: Barousse Imprimeur (French, Paris 1856–1890 Paris)
- Published in: Leipzig
- Date: ca. 1850–70
- Medium: Lithograph
- Dimensions: Sheet: 12 11/16 × 9 9/16 in. (32.2 × 24.3 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Object Number: Ref.Ornament.13
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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