The Art of Cartier

The Art of Cartier is published to coincide with the exhibition of more than 400 pieces from the historic collection of the legendary French jeweler Cartier at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, although it was his three grandsons--Jacques, Louis and Pierre--who were responsible for launching the brand name worldwide. Indeed, so successful were they that we can read across from the story of Cartier to the wider history of the twentieth century: a Panther clip brooch bought by Wallis Simpson in 1949; the now-infamous Ruby Suite presented to Elizabeth Taylor by her third husband, Mike Todd, in 1957. The Art of Cartier offers a comprehensive selection of the finest jewels that Cartier has repurchased over the years, in an attempt to assemble a representative collection of the Maison's production and to show the evolution of its style during the first half of the twentieth century. The items on exhibit range from the great tiaras in the so-called "garland" style of the early twentieth century to Art Deco jewels and others inspired by exotic places (including the famous Tutti Frutti bracelet of diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires all nestled in a frieze of foliage), gold jewelry of the 1930s and 1940s and one-off commissions for leading personalities of the century such as Coco Chanel, María Félix and Grace Kelly. This sumptuous volume includes 950 color photographs and introduces us to one of the world's finest jewelry collections, allowing us to appreciate the creativity and mastery of Cartier's designers and artist-jewelers over the course of more than 100 years.