Frans Von Stuck

German symbolist/Art Nouveau painter, sculptor, engraver and architect Frans Von Stuck (February 24, 1863 - August 30, 1928) was noted for his erotic and comic treatment of mythological themes. After studies at different art schools his career went straight upwards. He won several prizes for his oevres and became an honorary member of several European academies. Here are some of his paintings, most often filled with dangerous femme fatales, mythological and symbolic themes. But he also produced a few early landscapes, and many portraits.

The Guardian of Paradise/Angel with Flaming Sword, 1889.

The Sphinx (V.2), c. 1889.

Sensuality/Eve and the Snake, 1891.

The Sin, 1893.

The Kiss of the Sphinx, 1895.

Dancers, 1896.

Portrait of Frau Feez, 1900.

Susanna Bathing, 1904.

Wounded Amazon, 1904-05.

Salome, 1906.

Source

Fabergé Friday

We have now reached number four in the line of Kelch-eggs: the "Apple Blossom Egg" or "Jade Chest Egg", from 1901!

The thin, polished surface of this egg is made from one solid piece of carved nephrite. It stands on four "branches" made of red and green gold. These branches then grow up over the egg as interlacing twigs with nots, veins, patches of moss, gold leaves and flowers with white-pink enamel petals and silver-mounted, pink foiled rose-cut diamonds. 

The design of the egg reflects the contemporary fashion of Art Nouveau and the Japanese style. This is one of the biggest eggs ever created by Fabergé, and it was designed as a jewelry case. The surprise inside is lost though.

The "Apple Blossom Egg" now belongs to Adulf Peter Goop, Vaduz, Lichtenstein.

René Lalique

René Lalique (1860 - 1945) was a French artist, glassmaker and jeweler. Going through everything he created in his life would become a very long post, so I'm only going to focus on his jewelry here. When creating his Art Nouveau pieces he took his inspiration from both the French countryside and the Japanese natural world. Lalique was a very innovative man and he incorporated many materials not often used in jewelry in his pieces, like glass, horn, enamel, ivory, semi-precious stones and pearls. When he used precious stones it was only for what they brought to the piece of jewelry, and not for their value as gems. Glassmaker Emile Galle called Lalique "the inventor of modern jewelry", and here follows some of his works.

Don't you just love that bird-collar in the next to last picture?!!! The last object is actually a diadem, shaped as a mermaid! In the future I know at least I will be searching for Lalique objects when I go antique-hunting!