A blooming flower, a butterfly spreading its wings and a beautiful young woman are transient symbols with their energy and youthfulness doomed to wane in the future. When these images are incorporated into jewelry, however, they become transfixed in time. These symbols of the brevity of life are the main focus of the Museum of Fine Art's (MFA) current jewelry exhibit.
"Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry" is a compilation of more than 120 pieces by several different artists. It brings together the stunning skills and the luminescent jewels of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries into two rooms. Colorful and exquisite, this exhibit is surely a feast for the eyes.
A highly imaginative style, Art Nouveau is a reaction to the naturalistic and perhaps boring decorative style present during previous periods of time. Art Nouveau is exciting and organic and "choos[es] to interpret nature rather than imitate it," according to the wall text. The rainbow of colors used creates a decadent and rich feeling. As a result, the jewelry, with its attention to minute details, is extravagant yet creative.
An artistic conversation about the juxtaposition of ostensibly opposite concepts persists throughout the exhibit. Ideas such as delicateness, strength, permanence and transience are prevalent. Many Art Nouveau artists borrowed Japanese symbols and images and gave them Western significance. For example, the peacock, which traditionally stands for divinity and power, has become a study of detail. Stripping it of its Asian meaning, the artists explored new ways to bring out color, shine and features in the feathers.
The artists take these transformations one step further when they challenge our conceptions of preciousness. Using mainly semi-precious stones and gold and silver, the artists forwent more rare elements such as diamonds.
The thistle necklace by René Lalique, a renowned Art Nouveau jeweler who has several works in the show, is a perfect example of the theme of opposites. Crafted from gold enamel, pearls and cast glass from 1904 to 1905, the necklace is formed from many intertwining thistle branches. Lalique has taken a normally prickly and undesirable plant and transformed it into a delicate and wearable piece of art. The prickles have been tamed with blunt edges while small diamonds accent the branches. Worn upon a woman's neck, the necklace would appear sexy and dangerous at the same time, evoking the idea of the femme fatale.
One of the most stunning pieces of the collection appears right at the entrance to the exhibit. The orchid brooch by Charles Desrosiers is a fairly large piece of jewelry. It is absolutely breathtaking, capable of stirring any girl's heart. The petals are created from gold enamel, using a technique called "plique à jour," or the backless technique.
"Plique à jour" means that the viewer can see straight through the enamel. It is truly a difficult technique to master, and Desrosiers has executed it with perfection with his iridescent petals. The stamens are pearls, and tiny drops of dew are accented by miniscule diamonds. The orchid brooch definitely preserves the fragility of a blossomed flower.
"Imperishable Beauty" features not only rings, bracelets and other popular forms of jewelry, but lesser known ones such as hair combs and spectacles. Lalique has created a hair comb of ivy leaves, rivaling the feather headpiece worn by Carrie Bradshaw in the film version of "Sex and the City" (2008) in luxuriousness. It is elegant and delicate with its large sapphires, gold enamel and smooth horn. The hair comb is the ultimate piece of jewelry for the most feminine of women.
Though the exhibit reflects the artists' move away from precious elements, the pieces are not intended to confront ideas of socio-economic class. Indeed, the jewelry is impeccably crafted; only the elite would have been able to afford such beauty. Works by Tiffany and Co. are prominently displayed, for example.
The Art Nouveau style as portrayed by the MFA is easily recognizable in many of today's trends in jewelry. Its influence is far and wide, but "Imperishable Beauty" has an invaluable selection of the richest and most beautiful pieces.
Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry
At the Torf Gallery, through Nov. 9
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
617-267-9300
