Towards Higher Things

Rare Winged Brooch by Child & Child, London ca. 1900

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

The awakening of the arts in the years around 1900 brought new forms, designs and fashions in all European countries. In France and Belgium, Art Nouveau emerged; in the German-speaking countries, the Aventgardeb were called Jugendstil and Secession. In Britain, the artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement created similarly novel, previously unseen works. A particular, especially British, specialty in jewellery is the designs of the London jewelers Child & Child. The two brothers, Walter and Harold, founded a joint firm in 1880. From their move in 1891 to Albert Place West in South Kensington, they produced colourful pieces of jewellery with bright enamel, for which the brothers became famous almost overnight. Until Harold's death in 1915, they mainly produced brooches in the shape of wings, feathers, hearts and butterflies, which are sought-after collectors' items today. A wonderful brooch, which demonstrates the goldsmiths' delight in using radiant enamel, is kept by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London under Inv. No. M.99-2007. We reproduce herewith a painting from the hand of Frank Dicksee, which was sold at auction by Sotheby's in London in 2014. Dated 1904, the portrait shows Susannah Pearson of Brickonbury Estate, Wroxton Abbey and Overthorpe Hall, Oxfordshire wearing a similar brooch, but here with richer fittings. Worn as a focal point in the centre of her dress at the edge of the neckline, the symmetry of the design is well displayed here. The wonderful brooch has been preserved in its original case and is now waiting to give wings to everyday life. And in the words of a contemporary, Oscar Wilde: "Temptations should be yielded to. Who knows if they will come again!"

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The Arts and Craft Movement was a movement in arts and crafts, first British and later American, from the second half of the 19th century to about 1920. Founded by William Morris, John Ruskin and a group of painters, architects, and other artists came together to find a new connection between art, society, and work. Morris, in particular, placed great emphasis on his own work, the joy of manual labor, and natural beauty of the material. Therefore, many of the designs of this group are characterized by a certain craftsmanship of the design and a powerful, sometimes at first glance somewhat coarse-looking design language, which in detail, however, then again inspires with its ingenuity and workmanship. In the age of machine production, the artists of Arts and Crafts wanted to achieve a return to craftsmanship and a reunification of art and craftsmanship with the aim of restoring the creative fullness of craftsmanship. In this endeavour, their ideas met those of the artists of Art Nouveau and Art Nouveau on the continent, and both art movements shared many common ideas about form.

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Size & Details

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