The Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period

Experts divide the reign of Queen Victoria, also called The Victorian era (1837-1901) into three periods of about twenty years each; The Romantic Victorian Period (1837 - 1860), The Grand Victorian Period (1860 - 1880), and the Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period (1880 - 1901).

We consider these earrings to be of The Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period.

Jewelry of this period is changing back from heavy to more smaller, romantic pieces with often whimsical motifs. Jewelers using diamonds and bright gemstones in elaborated and fine feminine pieces.

The Art Nouveau Style

Although Art Nouveau took on distinctly localised tendencies as its geographic spread increase some general characteristics are indicative of the form. A description published in Pan magazine of Hermann Obrist's wall-hanging Cyclamen (1894) described it as "sudden violent curves generated by the crack of a whip", which became well known during the early spread of Art Nouveau.

Subsequently, not only did the work itself become better known as The Whiplash, but the term "whiplash" is frequently applied to the characteristic curves employed by Art Nouveau artists. Such decorative "whiplash" motifs, formed by dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines in a syncopated rhythm, are found throughout the architecture, painting, sculpture, and other forms of Art Nouveau design.

The Art Deco Style

Art Deco is an eclectic artistic and design style which had its origins in Paris in the first decades of the 20th century. The style originated in the 1920s and continued to be employed until after World War II.

The term "art deco" first saw wide use after an exhibition in 1966, referring to the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes that was the culmination of high-end style modern in Paris.

Led by the best designers in the decorative arts such as fashion, and interior design, Art Deco affected all areas of design throughout the 1920s and 1930s, including architecture and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as painting, the graphic arts and film. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, glamorous, functional and modern.

The Belle Époque

The Belle Époque (French for "Beautiful Era") was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the time of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, the "Belle Époque" was named in retrospect, when it began to be considered a "golden age" the major powers of Europe, new technologies improved lives and the commercial arts adapted Renaissance and eighteenth-century styles to modern forms.

In the newly rich United States, emerging from the Panic of 1873, the comparable epoch was dubbed the Gilded Age. In the United Kingdom, this epoch overlaps the end of what is called the Victorian Era there and the period named the Edwardian Era.

The Late Victorian Period

Jewellery from the Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period (late 19th Century) is changing back from heavy to more smaller, romantic pieces with often whimsical motifs. Jewelers using diamonds and bright gemstones in elaborated and fine feminine pieces.

"Thorvaldsen's Cupid and Bacchus"

The source of inspiration for this 19th Century jewel is a relief that the famous Berthel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) made around 1810. The scenery is depicting Cupid and Bacchus stomping grapes. Pictures of the original relief can be found in The Thorvaldsen Museum inventory number A413. To see these pictures and find more about this interesting jewel, click the picture above to get to its describing page.

"The triumph of Priapus"

A classy 18th Century ring with an image that, once you understand what you're looking at, makes you giggle. The image is known as "The triumph of Priapus" and we even found some 18th century drawings with this scene belonging to The British Museum. As far as we have been able to determine, only a few of these rings with this scenery are known to exist. We were lucky enough to find a very interesting thesis from Raimon Graells i Fabregat (2011) in where he dives fully into the history of this ring. For more information, click the picture to visit the describing page of this ring.