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| Locket, 1630 French, Enamel on Gold The Victoria & Albert Museum |
The French centers of Blois, Châteaudun and Paris were celebrated for their watches, jewelry and other small items of silver and gold which were famously decorated with enameled allegorical figures. Here, we see an example of the artistry of Blois with this locket of gold and enamel. The seasons of Autumn and Winter are depicted on the front, with Spring and Summer on the back.
This was created in the Seventeenth Century when new techniques of painting enamels allowed delicate portraits to be created in such detail that they resembled tiny oil paintings. The portraits on this locket are evidence of that amazing skill. Inside the lid is a depiction of two peasants and a lamb in a landscape.
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