Brooch with Nude designed by René Lalique (1860-1945), Paris. c. 1902. Gold, enamel, diamond brilliants, 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (3.8 x 7 cm). [Click on photograph to enlarge it.]
Collection: Walters Art Museum (Accession number: 57.944), which permits use of text and image under the Creative Commons License. “A gold, kneeling nude woman, with her body turned at the waist and her arms raised behind her head, is placed against a curvilinear, symmetrical gold framework set with small diamonds. Characteristic of Lalique's most flamboyant Art Nouveau style is the nude's enameled, cascading red hair. The use of an entire human figure as a decorative motif was considered a remarkable innovation in jewelry design.” (Walters site).
Bibliography
“La Source Pendant and Necklace” Walters Art Museum. Web. 8 November 2011. [Note: search by accession number — 57.944 — to locate item.]
8 November 2011