$1,896
Art Nouveau 18kt Gold and Rose-cut Diamond Locket, France, depicting a maiden among overarching fronds, rose-cut diamond accents, dia. 1 1/2 in., French guarantee stamp and maker's mark. Provenance: Descendants of the Belle Epoque actress Rejane. Rejane (1865-1920) was a great actress of the Belle Epoque, and an early international celebrity. She was a star of the popular theater, the queen of French comedy, vaudeville and light drama. Her personality and intelligence also inspired the admiration of contemporary artists and intellectuals. She was the ideal Parisienne, a woman of inexplicable charm, elegance, and wit, and a leader of fashion. A muse of the great Parisian couturier Doucet, Rejane was one of the best dressed women in Paris. Aubrey Beardsley sketched her at least six times in his brief career, and no less than three portraits by her friend, the celebrity portraitist Giovanni Boldini, survive. Albert Besnard's 1900 Salon portrait of Rejane, in a flowing pink gown, was considered 'epoch making' by contemporary writers, and was 'continually surrounded by groups of worshippers and detractors'. Her likeness was also painted by John Singer Sargent, James Jacques Tissot and Toulouse-Lautrec. Although not a conventional beauty, Rejane inspired her admirers with what one theater critic called a 'fascination' that went beyond admiration of her vivacity, animation and lovely voice. Her close friend and counterpart in the field of tragedy, the actress Sarah Bernhard Read more…
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2009-06-16
