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130
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130. GEORGES BRAQUE: ‘PHAETON’ RUBY BROOCH, CIRCA 1960
See original version (French)
130
-
130. GEORGES BRAQUE: ‘PHAETON’ RUBY BROOCH, CIRCA 1960
See original version (French)
Estimate €5,000 - €7,000
Voluntary lot
Description
130. GEORGES BRAQUE: ‘PHAETON’ RUBY BROOCH, CIRCA 1960
Shaped as a stylised bird in textured yellow gold, its eye set with a round ruby, signed BIJOUX DE BRAQUE HEGER DE LÖWENFELD ©, numbered, French hallmarks for 18-carat gold (750 ‰), maker’s mark for Jean BONDT, dimensions 5.70 x 9.30 cm, gross weight 28.39 g.
Georges Braque, a leading figure in modern art and co-founder of Cubism alongside Picasso, left a profound mark on the 20th century through his quest for form, material and harmony. From the very start of his career, Braque experimented with new techniques and worked with various materials — sand, wood, engraved copper — developing a visual language based on clean lines and geometric structure.
In 1961, Braque joined forces with the jeweller and gem-cutter Henri-Michel Heger de Löwenfeld to create a series of jewellery pieces inspired by his artistic world and Greek mythology. This collaboration gave rise to pieces in which clean-lined forms, timeless symbols and precious materials come together.
The bird in Braque’s work:
From the 1950s onwards, the bird became one of the most powerful motifs in his work. Inspired by the ever-changing skies of Normandy, in Varengeville-sur-Mer, Braque saw the bird as a symbol of infinite space and free movement, a way of expressing the poetry of the world and creative inspiration. This theme reached its peak in 1953, when he painted a flock of birds taking flight against a starry sky on the ceiling of the Henri II Room at the Louvre. The bird also features prominently in his illustrations of Hesiod from 1912 onwards, revealing the full symbolic richness he attributed to this aerial figure.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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