A well -targeted Renaissance jewelry

Toulouse. The Renaissance jewel, a real reflection of society, is not a great absent from exhibitions. But these pieces of jewelry, rare to have reached us because they are often overhauled or re -used, are very often considered there in other decorative arts. An approach that the Bemberg Foundation wants to take the opposite. The exhibition, designed in partnership with the Château d’Écouen, practices on the jewel as an object, on its materiality to then explore its reading pluralities in the 16th century. “” The fact that a museum has this really targeted approach is a first in France. And in Europe, this had not taken place since the exhibition of the Victoria and Albert Museum forty years ago ”, Supports the director of the Ana Debenedetti Foundation, who provides the police station with Julie Rohou, curator at the Château d’Écouen. In fact, the only French retrospective entirely dedicated to jewelry had hitherto held in a gallery (Kugel in 2000).

This targeted axis, the route respects it by having around sixty jewelry pieces dialogue with a fine selection of portraits, engravings and documents, which clearly serve the subject. We immediately enter the goldsmith’s workshop, where jewelry molds, lead or wooden models and rings books say a lot about the diffusion of models and styles in Europe. This very interesting technical part would have deserved to be more extensive. In the surface, it only touches the work of metal and the gems trade. On the other hand, it points well the multiplicity of the sources of inspiration of the goldsmiths. A taste for antiquity is available in both themes and in forms, as evidenced by the superb Lady’s portrait (around 1530-1540), awarded to Girolamo Da Carpi, an exceptional loan from the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. The young woman, presumably Renée de France, sports a precious pearl necklace, embellished with a camée -shaped medallion, which represents Venus or an ancient heroine. High quality works therefore, highlighted by an intimate scenography – signed Hubert Le Gall – despite a light that does not sometimes do them justice (some loans imposing a low light).

The other rooms then explore the multiple facets of the jewel in the 16th century: demonstration of power and luxury, a love symbol, devotional object … A division by typology necessarily a bit academic, while such ornaments could take several functions (religious and political for example), but relevant because very didactic. Thus, an impressive ceremonial armor, decorated with a collar of the military order of Saint-Michel, underlines the importance of the jewel in the recognition of the status. Precious cupid pendants, belonging to the same corpus, are gathered here for the first time. A section also highlights jewelry in the private domain, more unknown, invested with talismanic virtues or used for body care. The foray in the 19th century, at the end of the course, turns out to be just as welcome. It opens on the many very convincing false and pastiches that circulated at that time, making the authentication of the renaissance jewels all the more complex.