Joseph (Jean-Baptiste, dit) CHAUMET (1852-1928). Allegory of…
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Lot no. 36

Estimate: €40,000 - €60,000

Sale date : 11/30/2025 at 2:30 PM

Sale commission

Sculptures and bronzes

Description

Joseph (Jean-Baptiste, dit) CHAUMET (1852-1928). Allegory of the four seasons Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Rare suite of four chased bronze proofs with a double gold and silver patina, "Le Printemps" signed "J. Chaumet Paris-London After 1905 "L'Automne" with an old label "Ref 57". White marble plinth (14 x 38 x 32 cm) Spring : H. 64 cm - W. 35 cm - D. 33 cm (approx.) Winter : H. 63 cm - W. 35 cm - D. 38 cm (approx.) Summer: H. 63 cm - W. 32 cm - D. 36 cm (approx.) Autumn: H. 62.5 cm - W. 32 cm - D. 37 cm (approx.) Traces of oxidation Works to compare: Koller, Splendeur et raffinement: le luxe parisien au XIXe siècle, Thursday 28 November 2024, lot 1111 (Allégorie de l'Hiver) Note : Heir to a long line of goldsmiths and jewellers, Joseph Chaumet was one of the great figures of French jewellery during the Belle Époque. Artistic director and owner of the Chaumet house, he embodied both the continuity of expertise dating back to the Empire and the innovative spirit of the late XIXᵉ century. The history of the house began under Napoleon Bonaparte, when Marie-Étienne Nitot, jeweller to the imperial court and personal supplier to Empress Josephine, founded a company that soon became renowned for its sumptuous creations. After the fall of the Empire, management passed successively to Jean-Baptiste and Jules Fossin, then to Valentin and Prosper Morel. In 1885, Joseph Chaumet took over the jewellery business from his father-in-law Prosper Morel and gave it his name. A visionary, he made Chaumet a symbol of Parisian luxury, combining technical perfection, elegance and creativity. Under his impetus, Chaumet became one of the jewels of Place Vendôme. In 1907, the company moved to 12, in the Hôtel Baudard de Saint-James, which remains its emblematic headquarters to this day. During the Belle Époque, its creations seduced high society and the courts of Europe: tiaras, ornaments and exceptional jewellery, designed in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, adorned princesses, maharajas and the great ladies of the world. The art of Joseph Chaumet is distinguished by its refinement, the quality of its settings and a pronounced taste for natural forms and symbolic motifs. Alongside his career as a jeweller, Joseph Chaumet devoted himself to sculpture, a discipline in which he expressed an artistic sensibility close to that which permeates his jewellery. His decorative bronzes, often signed "Joseph Chaumet" or "Chaumet Paris", reflect a style deeply influenced by naturalism and Art Nouveau. He favoured slender female figures, allegories and mythological or seasonal themes, such as the Four Seasons, sometimes in gilded bronze. These works, intended for a refined clientele, illustrate the intimate link he established between luxury jewellery and the decorative arts of his time. A black and white photograph taken in 1926 by the Studio O'Doyé (Paul O'Doyé) for the magazine L'Illustration probably shows one of these sculptures, displayed as the centrepiece in a showcase in the Grand Salon of the Hôtel Chaumet, on the first floor (source: richardjeanjacques.com ). This rare testimony is a reminder of the place that sculpture occupied in Chaumet's creative universe, between pure art and the expression of luxury. Today, sculptures by Joseph Chaumet remain extremely rare on the art market. Well-known works include an impressive religious composition in gold and precious stones entitled Christus Vincit, and an ivory sculpture representing France Combattante, both of which were sold at Christie's. These exceptional pieces confirm the artist's dual identity: virtuoso jeweller and inspired sculptor, heir to a prestigious tradition that he was able to renew with elegance and a sense of symbolism. Expert: Mr Guy KALFON

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Pictures credits:

Inu Studio

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