Mastery of Design: A Diamond Spray Ornament, 1850

Spray Ornament
Diamonds, Silver, Gold
1830-1850
English
The Victoria & Albert Museum

With the rise of the Romantic Movement in the Nineteenth Century, Naturalistic jewelry with motifs of fruit, insects and easily-recognizable flowers became quite the fashion. These pieces often took the form of pins and brooches and by the middle of the Nineteenth Century had become quite large and ornate.


This spray ornament made in England in 1830 features hundreds of European Cut and several Rose Cut diamonds set in silver which has been backed in gold. The original ornament consisted of the three uppermost leaves. The blooms—roses and carnations--were added sometime before 1850. In addition to the flowers, the jeweler has added “tremblers.” Here, some of the flowers are mounted on springs so that as the lady moved, the jewels would “tremble” and catch the light.

This ornament was designed to wear on a bodice, but could also be worn in the hair. While the maker is unknown, a similar piece was displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851. Also featuring “tremblers” and various diamond blooms, the exhibited brooch was created by Hunt & Roskell. 

Sculpture of the Day: A Bust in Classical Style by Joseph Gott, 1830-1840

Bust of an Unknown Man
Joseph Gott, 1830-1840
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Well-regarded sculptor Joseph Gott (1786-1860) served his apprenticeship under John Flaxman between 1798 and 1802. By 1819, he had won a gold medal at the Royal Academy for a marble group of "Jacob Wrestling with an Angel."  According to the V&A, "He exhibited at the British Institution in 1821 and 1822, and at the Royal Academy between 1820 and 1848. In 1822 he moved to Rome, where he stayed for the rest of his life, though he returned to Britain regularly to meet his patrons and gain commissions."

Gott preferred the Roman style over the austere neo-Greek style which seemed too scientific to him.  Gott's work was idealized, but unheroic, relying on the pastoral and romantic.  This bust of an unknown man, for example, shows Gott's appreciation for creating soft, sensual portraits.  While others during this era were striving to create heroic monuments, Gott preferred to let a the natural beauty of both subject and material endure for all time.  

Mastery of Design: The Grapevine Necklace, 1840-1850

Necklace
London, 1840-1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The mid-Nineteenth Century saw an upsurge in jewels designed in naturalistic shapes. This trend was made all the more fashionable by Queen Victoria who had several pieces, many of them designed by her husband, Prince Albert, in the form of flowers, fruit or animals. This necklace is a perfect example. Here, we see a necklace in the form of vines laden with grapes and leaves. It is constructed of enameled gold mounted with amethysts.  We've looked at other examples of "grapevine" jewelry before, but those have been made with pearls, this is one step further in the fashion of naturalism.

This type of naturalistic jewelry emerged with the Romantic movement in the early 19th century and steadily grew in popularity, remaining popular for many decades. This piece is part of a suite which includes a matching pair of earrings.

Mastery of Design: The Grapevine Necklace, 1840-1850

Necklace
London, 1840-1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The mid-Nineteenth Century saw an upsurge in jewels designed in naturalistic shapes. This trend was made all the more fashionable by Queen Victoria who had several pieces, many of them designed by her husband, Prince Albert, in the form of flowers, fruit or animals. This necklace is a perfect example. Here, we see a necklace in the form of vines laden with grapes and leaves. It is constructed of enameled gold mounted with amethysts.

This type of naturalistic jewelry emerged with the Romantic movement in the early 19th century and steadily grew in popularity, remaining popular for many decades. This piece is part of a suite which includes a matching pair of earrings.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Diamond Hair Ornament, 1820

Hair Ornament
Diamonds, Gold, Silver
English, 1820
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the early Nineteenth Century, the cultures of England, France and Italy became especially interested in natural themes and the beauty of plants and flowers. In England, this coincided with a renewed interest in Botany and also with the swell of both the Romantic Movement and the Rococo Revival.


Jewels were often employed in complicated recreations of flowers and plants. In the earliest parts of the century, these were usually diamond works set in gold or silver. By 1830, jewelers were becoming more adventurous and also sought a new level of realism with their designs by incorporated colored stones and enamel into their works.

This hair ornament from 1820 by an unknown English maker is an early example of the trend toward Nature-themed jewels. Dozens of diamonds of various shapes and sizes are set in silver, backed with gold and mounted on a gold armature. Worn at the back of the head, this ornament would have glittered magnificently in the candlelight. The piece could also be worn as a brooch.

The Reverse
Showing the Gold Backing and Clip

Mastery of Design: A Diamond Spray Ornament, 1850

Spray Ornament
Diamonds, Silver, Gold
1830-1850
English
The Victoria & Albert Museum

With the rise of the Romantic Movement in the Nineteenth Century, Naturalistic jewelry with motifs of fruit, insects and easily-recognizable flowers became quite the fashion. These pieces often took the form of pins and brooches and by the middle of the Nineteenth Century had become quite large and ornate.


This spray ornament made in England in 1830 features hundreds of European Cut and several Rose Cut diamonds set in silver which has been backed in gold. The original ornament consisted of the three uppermost leaves. The blooms—roses and carnations--were added sometime before 1850. In addition to the flowers, the jeweler has added “tremblers.” Here, some of the flowers are mounted on springs so that as the lady moved, the jewels would “tremble” and catch the light.

This ornament was designed to wear on a bodice, but could also be worn in the hair. While the maker is unknown, a similar piece was displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851. Also featuring “tremblers” and various diamond blooms, the exhibited brooch was created by Hunt & Roskell.

Object of the Day: A Painting by Carl Friedrich Koch, 1875

Almost jewel-like, this painting by Nineteenth-Century German Romantic Movement painter, Carl Friedrich Koch glimmers with brilliant color. A young couple strolls along a country lane, obviously courting. In the background, a misty church rises. Their path is lined with white roses and billowing foliage. The man—resplendent in his red coat and important hat—is focused solely on his companion. Meanwhile, the woman in her delicate pink gown glances at us knowingly from behind her parasol. She wants us to know that they’re in love and that she has been triumphant.


Carl Friedrich Koch (1856-1941) excelled in his representations of these romantic scenes. Also, a celebrated landscape painter, Koch had a talent for rendering richly-colored natural settings. Many of his paintings feature cherub-faced women with a glint of mischief in their eyes. Paintings such as his In the Garden, which typics a similar theme, hang in the world’s finest museums.

I’ve always enjoyed this painting. The figures have such personality and vibrancy. Every time I walk past it, I get the sense that they could stroll right out of the frame. Koch was a master of combining the elements of classical landscape with the romantic themes that were popular at the time. His work has a sense of both the contemporary and the traditional. To me, that’s a brilliant way to approach life.