L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts presents an exhibition to illustrate the singular place occupied by Jewelry at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Almost 100 pieces from museum, patrimonial and private collections will be presented in Paris from June 2nd to September 30th, 2023. 

From the 1880s onwards, aesthetics underwent a profound change. A radical renaissance of the imaginary, enriched by an extraordinary dissemination of scientific knowledge, enhanced creative potential in all spheres of art. Far from being simply the reflection of a history of forms written elsewhere, jewelry was fully engaged in a fascination with nature and its phenomena. At the end of the century in France, this movement converged towards Art Nouveau in a creative spirit that enlivened the savoir-faire of the workshops. From a technical point of view, it is mainly characterized by its subtle combination of stones, metals and materials of different value. The latter, ductile, colorful and shimmering, form feminine silhouettes, foliage and flowers, insects and enchanting arabesques. 

Although, in the early 1910s, artists opt for an esthetics more inspired by geometry, Art Nouveau developed a rich legacy and would ultimately modernize the art of Jewelry. 

Divided into three sections, the exhibition at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts allows visitors to explore developments that were based as much on the use of unusual materials as on the adoption of new visual repertoires. First, the visitor is invited into a "fairy-like nature" environment. Past styles were not consigned to oblivion, but symbolism – which first appeared in the 1880s – served to revive them. The visit continues into the" bloomings" section. Interest in life’s manifestations, movement and evolution changed how the ancient theme of metamorphoses was perceived. The visitor ends the exhibition in the "ornamental nature" section. Ultimately, nature’s creative process itself provides inspiration and is no longer the opposite, but rather the source of abstract ornament.