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Le Livre de Bijouterie

Metalwork Design
mid-16th century (engraved), 1600 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This engraving belongs to a series of twenty prints, all showing designs for goldsmiths and jewellers. They were engraved by René Boyvin, a French artist of the 16th century, after models by Rosso Fiorentino or more probably by his aide, Léonard Thiry. The ornament prints of this period are numerous; prints allowed the models to be more widespread so goldsmiths and jewellers everywhere could have access to the latest designs. This series, though dating from the middle of the 16th century, was published by Paul de la Houve, who worked in Paris in 1600. This shows the long-lasting success of this kind of engravings. This print forms a portion of a larger plate bearing, in its entirety, two strings of jewels and three rows of ring. All of those designs are also kept in the Victoria & Albert Museum except for the centre row. This series, though dating from the middle of the 16th century, was published by Paul de la Houve, who worked in Paris in 1600. This shows the long-lasting success of this kind of engraving.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Le Livre de Bijouterie (series title)
  • Designs for a string of jewels (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Engraving on paper
Brief description
René Boyvin after Rosso Fiorentino or Léonard Thiry. Design for a string of jewels from a suite of 20 plates entitled Le Livre de Bijouterie. Mid-16th century, published by Paul de la Houve, Paris, 1600.
Physical description
Engraving. Designs for a string of jewels, for a collar or bracelet. One of a series of twenty prints from Le Livre de Bijouterie. Portion of a larger plate bearing two strings of jewels and three rows of rings (see 2567-1913, 397-1926, 398-1926). Engraved by René Boyvin after Rosso Fiorentino or Léonard Thiry, mid-16th century. Published by Paul de la Houve, Paris, 1600.
Dimensions
  • Cut to height: 9.2cm
  • Cut to width: 1.9cm
Style
Historical context
This engraving is one of a series of twenty prints showing designs for goldsmiths and jewellers. They were engraved by René Boyvin, a French artist of the 16th century, after models by Rosso Fiorentino or more probably by his assistant, Léonard Thiry. The ornament prints of this period are numerous; prints facilitated the dissemination of designs so goldsmiths and jewellers everywhere could have access to the latest versions. This series, though dating from the middle of the 16th century, was published by Paul de la Houve, who worked in Paris in 1600. This shows the long-lasting popularity of this kind of engraving.

This print forms a portion of a larger plate bearing, in its entirety, two strings of jewels and three rows of ring. All of those designs are also kept in the Victoria & Albert Museum except for the centre row (see 2567-1913, 397-1926, 398-1926).
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
This engraving belongs to a series of twenty prints, all showing designs for goldsmiths and jewellers. They were engraved by René Boyvin, a French artist of the 16th century, after models by Rosso Fiorentino or more probably by his aide, Léonard Thiry. The ornament prints of this period are numerous; prints allowed the models to be more widespread so goldsmiths and jewellers everywhere could have access to the latest designs. This series, though dating from the middle of the 16th century, was published by Paul de la Houve, who worked in Paris in 1600. This shows the long-lasting success of this kind of engravings. This print forms a portion of a larger plate bearing, in its entirety, two strings of jewels and three rows of ring. All of those designs are also kept in the Victoria & Albert Museum except for the centre row. This series, though dating from the middle of the 16th century, was published by Paul de la Houve, who worked in Paris in 1600. This shows the long-lasting success of this kind of engraving.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Robert-Dumesnil, A. P. F. Le peintre-graveur français, ou Catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'école française. Ouvrage faisant suite au Peintre-graveur de M. Bartsch. Par A.-P.-F. Robert-Dumesnil. Paris: G. Warée, 1835-71. Vol. VIII, p. 73, no.160.
  • For reproduction, see: Armand-Durand, M. Le livre de bijouterie de René Boyvin, d'Angers reproduit en fac-simile par M. Amand-Durand. Paris : Rapilly, 1876. 16 p., 20 leaves of plates, ill.
  • Robert-Dumesnil, A. P. F. Le peintre-graveur français, ou Catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'école française. Ouvrage faisant suite au Peintre-graveur de M. Bartsch. Par A.-P.-F. Robert-Dumesnil. Paris: G. Warée, 1835-71. Vol. VIII, p. 73, no.160.
  • Linzeler, A. and Jean Adhémar. Inventaire du fonds français; graveurs du seizième siècle (Paris: M. Le Garrec; Paris: Bibliothèque nationale, 1932-1935, 1932): vol. 1, p. 199.
  • Levron, J., René Boyvin, graveur angevin du XVIe siècle, avec le catalogue de son oeuvre et la reproduction de 114 estampes (Anger, France: Les Lettres et la Vie Française. Éditions Jacques Petit, 1941), 267.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1926, London: Board of Education, 1927.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design, Accessions 1913, London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1914
Collection
Accession number
E.2568-1913

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
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