Large Brooch with Shell Cameo and Miniature Painting in a Swivel Mount, c. 1860

Here we see a shell cameo with a picturesque cut, set in a frame dating from around 1860. This piece from the mid-19th century depicts an Arcadian scene: A female figure stands beneath a group of trees that defines the left edge of the image; a child and a dog face her. In the background, we see a small farmstead. At first glance, the depiction appears to be a genre scene without any deeper meaning. However, when viewed against the backdrop of the period in which it was created, the piece takes on the character of a historical document. With the onset of industrialization in the 19th century, life in Europe underwent profound changes. Émile Zola’s great novels, for example, chronicle the growing influx of people into Paris. The city was transformed; the old, romantic parts of medieval Paris disappeared, and the grand avenues and boulevards took their place instead. Despite all the enthusiasm for progress and newfound luxury, a sense of loss for the old world nevertheless prevailed among large segments of the population. The cameo presented here must be understood against this backdrop: it once again celebrates, in a romantic manner, country life—the carefree happiness under the open sky, simple and free from the obligations of the office, the business, and the factory. Much as it had in the Ancien Régime, a longing for the countryside took hold, which, through a nostalgic idealization of rural life, was able to develop a utopia for the future—one of living more freely and in closer community. The composition of the work is marvelous: the landscape is rendered in an almost impressionistic style, without getting lost in excessive detail. The mounting also reveals a unique feature. The cameo can be rotated on its own axis, revealing a miniature painting modeled after the famous portrait of Empress Marie-Louise of Austria by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, which was likely added in the 20th century. This beautiful piece of jewellery came to us from Hamburg; it was almost certainly made in England.

Estimate:$1,100.49

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