fawnvelveteen:
This remarkable brooch is a highlight of the three-year partnership of Georges Fouquet, the French jeweler known for his inventiveness and high-quality execution, and Alphonse Mucha, the Czech graphic artist whose work perhaps best epitomizes the decorative luxuries of the Art Nouveau style. The two men collaborated from 1899 to 1901. At a time when the emphasis had been on precious stones in traditional settings usually derived from the Louis XVI period, Fouquet and Mucha together redefined fine jewelry design, espousing the belief that the beauty of a jewel depends on its artistic conception. Materials were chosen for their contribution to the overall design, not for their intrinsic value.
