{"id":13555,"date":"2026-03-17T13:59:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T12:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.galerienicolasbourriaud.com\/produit\/femme-de-dos\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T17:29:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T16:29:17","slug":"femme-de-dos","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.galerienicolasbourriaud.com\/en\/produit\/femme-de-dos\/","title":{"rendered":"WOMAN SEEN FROM BEHIND"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Inquisitive and drawn to variety, Jules Desbois also turned his attention to the decorative arts. In 1896 he joined a group of artists united around the idea of integrating art into everyday objects, furniture and architecture, with the aim of reconciling the so-called major and minor arts. The group adopted the name<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>L\u2019Art dans Tout<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>(\u201cArt in Everything\u201d), which also became the title of their annual exhibitions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As a champion of socially engaged art, Desbois participated in three of these exhibitions, presenting small objects, tableware (flasks, pitchers, dishes, ashtrays, trays), and jewellery. He produced a considerable number of such pieces, always adopting a refined decorative vocabulary whose themes frequently echoed those of his sculpture \u2014 most notably the female body, emerging in low relief from the depth of the material. His preferred medium was pewter, which he helped to bring back to prominence, though he also worked in silver, gold, and precious stones, as in the present brooch.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At the 6th exhibition of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>L\u2019Art dans Tout<\/span><\/em>, he showed several models for jewellery in plaster. Although our brooch was not included, comparable feminine motifs appear, characterized by abundant flowing hair and expressive hand gestures. Other jewels were exhibited at the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1903 to considerable acclaim, though it is not known whether the present brooch was among them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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From that year onward, Desbois collaborated with the distinguished art founder and dealer, Adrien-Aur\u00e9lien H\u00e9brard (1865\u20131937), who undertook to produce his jewellery in gold. Desbois thus created a series of sculptural brooches in yellow gold adorned with pearls or emeralds. In 1905, at the French Art Exhibition in Berlin, he presented under no. 73 a \u201cbrooch, patinated gold and emerald.\u201d Could this be our jewel \u2014 also in gold and set with four emeralds framing, against a background of foaming seawater, a delicately modeled female figure seen from behind, raising her left hand as if to gather her hair? The model was in any case reproduced in 1908 in a catalogue published by the Maison H\u00e9brard dedicated to women\u2019s jewellery.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was probably around this time that the founder presented this jewel, both unique and exceptional in quality, as a gift to Jeanne Schwarz (1887\u20131976), a young dancer who joined the Paris Opera Ballet in 1904 and was appointed \u00e9toile<\/i> in 1919.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jules DESBOIS \u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

18k gold (750\/1000) and emerald brooch, signed \u201cJ. Desbois\u201d
\nStamped on the reverse with the foundry mark: \u201cA.A. HEBRARD Fondeur d\u2019Art \u00e0 Paris\u201d
\nH. 2\u201d (5.5 cm) – W. 2\u00bd\u201d (6.5 cm) – Weight: 48 g
\nCirca 1905<\/p>\n

Provenance: Gift from H\u00e9brard to Madame Jeanne Schwarz, principal dancer; kept by the family until the present day.<\/p>\n

Related works: Brooch, silver, Mus\u00e9e Jules Desbois, Par\u00e7ay-les-Pins, inv. PR 001.1.9; Brooch, gold and diamonds, cast by H\u00e9brard, Mus\u00e9e du Petit Palais, inv. PPO1086; Brooch, silver with precious and semi-precious stones, cast by H\u00e9brard, Mus\u00e9e du Petit Palais, inv. PPO1080.<\/p>\n

Bibliography:Pierre Maillot and Raymond Huard,\u00a0Jules Desbois, Sculptor (1851\u20131935)<\/em>, Paris, 2000;
\nVivienne Becker,\u00a0Art Nouveau Jewelry<\/em>, Paris, 1985; Alastair Duncan,\u00a0The Paris Salons 1895\u20131914: Jewellery<\/em>, vol. I, Woodbridge, Antique Collector\u2019s Club, 1994, another example reproduced p. 186; Ars\u00e8ne Alexandre, \u201cWorks and Men \u2013 The Works of Jules Desbois,\u201d\u00a0Les Arts<\/em>, no. 191, November 1920, another example reproduced p. 22; Jules Desbois, portfolio of the\u00a0Revue des Arts D\u00e9coratifs<\/em>, 6th exhibition of\u00a0L\u2019Art dans Tout<\/em>, 1901, models for jewellery in plaster.<\/p>\n

SOLD<\/strong><\/p>\n

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