id: 149386
accession number: 1978.43
share license status: CC0
url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1978.43
updated: 2023-08-23 22:36:50.011000
Hand Mirror, c. 1900. Designed by Félix Bracquemond (French, 1833–1914), relief by Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917), enamel by Alexander Riquet (French), goldsmith work by Alexis Falize (French, 1811–1898). Gold, enamel, and ivory; overall: 32.2 x 16.1 x 1.2 cm (12 11/16 x 6 5/16 x 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Ralph King, by exchange 1978.43
title: Hand Mirror
title in original language:
series:
series in original language:
creation date: c. 1900
creation date earliest: 1895
creation date latest: 1905
current location: 001A ArtLens Exhibition
creditline: Gift of Ralph King, by exchange
copyright:
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culture: France
technique: gold, enamel, and ivory
department: Decorative Art and Design
collection: Decorative Arts
type: Miscellaneous
find spot:
catalogue raisonne:
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CREATORS
* Félix Bracquemond (French, 1833–1914) - designer
* Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917) - sculptor
* Alexander Riquet (French) - enamelist
* Alexis Falize (French, 1811–1898) - goldsmith
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measurements: Overall: 32.2 x 16.1 x 1.2 cm (12 11/16 x 6 5/16 x 1/2 in.)
state of the work:
edition of the work:
support materials:
inscriptions:
inscription: cipher engraved on inside top of handle: "VITTA" (in monogram form)
translation:
remark:
inscription: Cast at bottom of relief: A Rod - -
translation:
remark:
inscription: on the plique-a-jour enamel, the date and mark of Bracquemond and "AR," the monogram for Alexandre Riquet
translation:
remark:
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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
title: Year in Review: 1978
opening date: 1979-02-13T05:00:00
Year in Review: 1978. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 13-March 18, 1979).
title: Art Nouveau in France
opening date: 1979-03-01T05:00:00
Art Nouveau in France. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (March 1-September 1, 1979).
title: Mirrors: Art and Symbol
opening date: 1984-07-03T04:00:00
Mirrors: Art and Symbol. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 3-November 18, 1984).
title: Art Nouveau in France
opening date: 1988-07-12T04:00:00
Art Nouveau in France. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 12-November 27, 1988).
title: Félix Bracquemond (1833-1914) et les Arts Décoratifs Du Japonisme à l'Art Nouveau
opening date: 2005-04-05T00:00:00
Félix Bracquemond (1833-1914) et les Arts Décoratifs Du Japonisme à l'Art Nouveau. Musée Adrien Dubouché, Limoges, France (April 5-June 27, 2005).
title: Artistic Luxury: Fabergé Tiffany Lalique
opening date: 2008-10-19T04:00:00
Artistic Luxury: Fabergé Tiffany Lalique . The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 19, 2008-January 18, 2009); Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (February 7-May 31, 2009).
title: Jewelry by Artists, from Art Nouveau to the Avant-gardes
opening date: 2010-10-26T00:00:00
Jewelry by Artists, from Art Nouveau to the Avant-gardes. Museu Nacional d' Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain (organizer) (October 26, 2010-February 28, 2011).
title: Artlens Exhibition 2019
opening date: 2019-06-11T04:00:00
Artlens Exhibition 2019. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer).
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LEGACY EXHIBITIONS
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PROVENANCE
Commissioned by Baron J. Vitta, by descent to his heirs
date:
footnotes:
citations:
Heirs of Baron J. Vitta
date:
footnotes:
citations:
[Cyril Humphris, Ltd., Ferrers Gallery, London, England]
date: -July 1978
footnotes:
citations:
Ralph King [1855-1926] Cleveland Heights, OH, given by exchange to the Cleveland Museum of Art
date:
footnotes:
citations:
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
date: 1978-
footnotes:
citations:
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fun fact:
The mirror’s relief of Venus may be the only example of Rodin providing an ornament for a small decorative object.
digital description:
We often think of art as the work of just one person. In the case of this mirror, its harmonious appearance conceals the number of people involved in its creation. The designer Félix Bracquemond was commissioned by wealthy banker Baron Joseph Vitta to create decorative objects for his multiple homes. Bracquemond worked with other artists in making this mirror: well-known sculptor Auguste Rodin created the figure of Venus; artisan Alexandre Riquet fashioned the elaborate enameled decoration; and goldsmiths from Parisian jewelers Falize Frères completed the mirror and its blue translucent frame embedded with yellow, pink, and white flowers. Through close collaboration between patron, designer, and artists, this mirror represents the trend at the end of the 1800s for blending artistic specialties to create a single work of art.
The CMA’s collection includes Bracquemond’s preparatory drawings for the mirror and Rodin’s carved plaster model for the figure of Venus.
wall description:
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RELATED WORKS
id: 166861
Design for a Hand Mirror, c. 1900-1902. Félix Bracquemond (French, 1833-1914). Watercolor and black ink with graphite; sheet: 18 x 13.8 cm (7 1/16 x 5 7/16 in.); framed: 62 x 45 cm (24 7/16 x 17 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund 2009.11.4
relationship:
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CITATIONS
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain (10/26/2010 - 2/28/2011): "Jewelry by Artists, from Art Nouveau to the Avant-gardes", ex. cat. no. 177, p. 178-179.
page number:
url:
Donley, Gregory M, "A Discerning Eye", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 39 no. 05, May 1999
page number: Mentioned & reproduced: p. 6
url: https://archive.org/details/CMAMM1999-05/page/n5
Harrison, Stephen, Emmanuel Ducamp, Jeannine J Falino. Artistic Luxury: Fabergé Tiffany Lalique. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art in association with New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008.
page number: Reproduced: P. 133; Mentioned: P. 324, no. 8
url:
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IMAGES
web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1978.43/1978.43_web.jpg
print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1978.43/1978.43_print.jpg
full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1978.43/1978.43_full.tif