Suzanne Belperron, Sylvie Raulet And Olivier Baroin, La Bibliothèque Des Arts

Sylvie Raulet and Olivier Baroin, Suzanne Belperron (1900-1983), La Bibliothèque des Arts, 354 pages.

First prize winner of the Besançon School of Fine Arts in 1918, Suzanne Belperron was hired as a designer-modeler by Jeanne Boivin in 1919. She contributed to the success of the "Maison René Boivin", of which she became co-director. She brought a new stylistic influence and left an original mark. In 1932, she regained her freedom alongside the great dealer in precious stones and fine pearls, Bernard Herz. From then on, she blossomed and took off again. Totally detached from the "contingencies" and constraints linked to the art of jewelry, she designed superb pieces with fascinating sculptural forms. Using colored stones that she chooses for their beauty rather than their value, she goes against the grain of the creations of her time, variations that are mostly angular, and often in platinum set with diamonds. An outstanding colorist, Suzanne Belperron boldly creates avant-garde jewelry that is snapped up by the elite. Prestigious magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazar, Le Figaro illustré and Femina constantly solicit her. The aristocracy, the courts of Europe, industrial and financial magnates, fashion designers, intellectuals and stars from around the world are her regular clients. In her Parisian salon, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Maharani Baroda, the Rothschilds, Elsa Schiaparelli, Nina Ricci, Daisy Fellowes, Colette, Malet-Stevens, Ganna Walska, Merle Oberon, Gary Cooper and so many other glories meet. Inimitable, with a level of requirement close to perfection, Suzanne Belperron allows herself the luxury of never signing her pieces, which made dating and formal attribution of certain creations complex due to lack of traceability. The discovery in 2007 of Suzanne Belperron's personal archives was therefore the motivation to produce this work which will become a reference. The authors A trained historian, graphic designer and journalist, Sylvie Raulet is the well-known author of authoritative works on Art Deco jewelry and 1940-1950 jewelry. She has collaborated with the magazines L'Objet d'art, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Driven by a rare enthusiasm for jewelry, Olivier Baroin studied at the École de la rue du Louvre and joined the profession in 1987. In 2001, he became an expert in antique jewelry. Fascinated by the art and work of Suzanne Belperron, he acquired her entire archive in 2008, which he studied with passion. Daily consultation of her order books, documents, correspondence and her studio collection allowed him to discover the artist's extraordinary personality, to unequivocally trace her jewels - often wrongly attributed to other jewelers - to restore to the great lady the letters of nobility that reflect her thoughts: "My style is my signature."