Brooch with an opal and pearl, about 1900
Louis Zorra (pos­si­bly born in Italy and work­ing in Paris, dates
unknown
Gold, sil­ver, enamel, sap­phire, opal, and pearl
*Pri­vate col­lec­tion
*Pho­to­graph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

**Please note this exhi­bi­tion has been post­poned. You can visit the museum’s web­site for more information…

Begin­ning Octo­ber 24 and run­ning through Jan­u­ary 17, 2010 is Imper­ish­able Beauty, a new exhi­bi­tion of Art Nou­veau jew­elry at The Cincin­nati Art Museum. Selected from one of the finest Amer­i­can pri­vate col­lec­tions, the show fea­tures over one hun­dred works from France, Ger­many, Aus­tria and the United States by René Lalique, Henri Vever, Philippe Wolfers and Tiffany & Co., among many oth­ers. The Art Nou­veau period of design took nature at its worst and very best; the sun rose and set on all the stages of life, even until death. Artists rev­eled in the lyri­cal qual­ity of this process, which resulted in a hyper-focus on nature, the orig­i­nal drama queen. Whiplash curves unset­tled our equi­lib­rium and insect-women shocked our sen­si­bil­i­ties into another kind of real­ity; one not of rea­son but of uncom­pro­mis­ing, imper­ish­able beauty.

Orga­nized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and shown there last year, the Cincin­nati Art Museum will be the only other venue for this exhibition.

Orchid brooch
Georges Fou­quet (French, 1862–1957)
Gold, enamel, dia­mond, and pearl
*Pri­vate col­lec­tion
*Pho­to­graph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Hair comb with ivy leaves
René Lalique (French, 1860–1945)
Gold, enamel, sap­phire, and horn
*Pri­vate col­lec­tion
*Pho­to­graph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston