This elegant fan shaped brooch is set with a panel decorated with naked putti reclining in a dreamy landscape. A winged and naked Cupid, the mischievous ambassador of love, prepares to fire his arrow at them.The delicate pastel colours and form of the fan reflect the interest in the fashions of the 18th century which had been revived in the second half of the 19th century. The brooch was made by the firm of Frédéric Boucheron and set with a panel painted and signed by Fernand Paillet.

Frédéric Boucheron (1830-1902) was described by Henri Vever, the French jeweller and author of the magisterial ‘French Jewellery of the 19th century’, as ‘without a doubt, one of the most distinguished members of our fraternity’. He was apprenticed to Jules Chaise but by the age of 23 had moved to the Palais-Royal in Paris to work in the shop of Tixier-Deschamps. In 1858, he raised the funds to open his own shop. The originality of his designs led to success and in 1867, he was rewarded with a gold medal at the Exposition. His business grew rapidly, not least due to the influx of rich American buyers such as Mary Louise Mackay who became one of the firm’s most frequent clients. In 1889, his triumph at the Paris Exposition gained him a Grand Prix and he was made Officier of the Légion d’Honneur and further success in 1900 saw his promotion to the rank of Commander. He was amongst the first major jewellers to move from the Palais-Royal to the fashionable Place Vendôme and opened a magnificent shop, followed by further branches in Moscow (later moving to St Petersburg) and Marseilles. After his death in 1902, his son Louis took over the firm.

Fernand Paillet (1850-1918) was a French miniature painter who specialised in work on ivory, enamel and porcelain. He trained under the sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and set up his own studio in Paris, specialising in society portraits and from 1879-1888 he also worked at the Sėvres porcelain factory. The largest single group of his works is now in the New York Historical Society collection – between 1889 and 1903, he was commissioned by the New York socialite Peter Marié to paint portrait miniatures of the great American beauties. Paillet completed 100 of the 300 portraits commissioned. Paillet also collaborated with the watch maker Ferdinand Verger and with Frédéric Boucheron, creating small painted images to be set into jewels and watches.