Mirror mirror on the wall,
Is I is the fairest of all?
Tell me mirror. set me free,
Tell me truly what you see.
Okay okay lemme think,
I’ll get the answer in a blink.
Okay got it. I’ll tell you that,
You is as ugly as an ugly ol’ bat!
Well. of course I realize that there may be a scant few of you that
will disagree with me with the above mirror’s analysis. Or there may
be a scant fewer of you that think bats or gorgeous. In any case. I
stand here to tell you my opinion is not necessarily that of the
mirror’s. Though on the other hand it might be.
Still. it’s quite an intricately created brooch with a green
enameled headdress ornamented with marguerites. It was created–as
you may have surmised by my extremely cryptic title–by the master of
Art Nouveau jewelry. Monsieur Rene Lalique himself.
I know I’ve written about Lalique before. I add here some things I
may have missed. Most know that Lalique was easily far and way the
most notable and important jeweler of the Art Nouveau era. His work
has been defined as strange and melancholy, as well as enigmatic and
disturbing and beautiful and elegant. Talk about a multiple of
descriptions.
His work was once described as being akin to pornography in that it
was easier to recognize that it was to define. Was this written by a
clever writer I wonder. or… to lean to the oxymoronic. a brilliant
idiot.
The bottom of the brooch dangles a baroque pearl. The brooch’s value
was thought to be about 10,000 pounds sterling due to the fact that
it was signed and sold in its original fitted case. though I’m not
sure when this value was defined.
I digress for an instant if I may. As I write this I have my cell
phone in front of me in order to ensure I not miss a vital missive.
And every sentence or two. the phone dings. Are these the vital
missives I’m waiting for, I ask? No. Instead they’re warning me about
my heart. They’re advising me as to how to increase my wealth. They
want to make me better looking. Younger. More hair. Increase muscle
mass. Lose weight. Enlarge my brain capacity. Cut abs. Remove
wrinkles. Increase vision. Webinars. Seminars. They don’t stop. No no
no. The phone rings. Hi. It’s Heather-the-bitch from hell. She has
money for me. She calls every day. An act of endearment foisted upon
me relentlessly by an idiot. I don’t want to sell you anything
Benjamin. We’re altruists. We live to aid mankind. We want to assist
you. Heellllp!
Okay. I’ve vented. Back to Rene. How many out there know the most
significant source of his early influence in the era of Art Nouveau?
Did I hear Japonsime? Yes by golly. You’ve got it. There was a craze
in Europe and in America at that time for Japanese art and design.
And ol’ Rene jumped on the concept and elevated the motifs to new
levels.
There is not enough space in the constrained format of Tidbits to
enumerate all there is to enumerate about Lalique. Enough to say he
was a genius with prodigious output and a major presence in jewelry.
So. you know the rest. The visit to the image. also known as the
viewing experience. You know where. Home page.
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side. [Tidbits]. Click.
And there for your sensory optic pleasure you will see an image of a
one ugly broad exquisitely created by one Rene Lalique
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week. Benjamin Mark