HERMITAGE FINE ART PRESENTS ITS AUTUMN AUCTION
ART DECO, ART NOUVEAU,
20TH CENTURY DESIGN,
OBJECTS OF VERTU AND JEWELLERY

Hotel Le Meridien Beach Plaza, Monaco, Salon Zephyr:

After the hot summer, Hermitage Fine Art proudly announces its upcoming auction on 28 September 2021 dedicated to the two important artistic movements of Art Nouveau and Art Déco as well as Vertu Objects, Design Objects of the 20th century, and Jewellery.


Bidders can either participate from the auction room or contact the auction house to schedule a telephone bid/absentee bid. They can also register in one of the live streaming platforms to place their bids online: The Saleroom, Bidspirit, Invaluable and Drouot.

The sale will be preceded by a preview on September 26 starting from 16:00 and on September 27 starting from 14:00 CET.

The auction will include many of the most known names of the early XX century art movements. Alphonse Mucha (lots 2 and 3) and Alphonse Germain-Thill (lot 12) are two important names in this sale, as well as George Clarins (lot 10 and 15). George Clairin is best known for his informal intimate portraits of the glamorous actress Sarah Bernhardt, first his lover and then his close friend for 50 years. Lot number 10 of the auction is “Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt at Belle-Ile-Sur-Mer”.

The Russian-born Erté is one of the foremost fashion and theatrical designers of the twentieth century and the auction will include some stage and costume designs, a coat design for Henri Bendel (lot 1), some illustrations and a bracelet after his design (lot 90). Two works by George Barbier, who worked closely with Erté in the 1920s, illustrate two poems taken from erotic collection “The Songs of Bilitis” by Pierre Louÿs (lot 17 and 18).

Lot 10: GEORGES CLAIRIN (1843-1919)
Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt at Belle-Ile-Sur-Mer
Lot 1: ERTE (ROMAIN DE TIRTOFF) (1892-1990)
Coat design for Henri Bendel
The large-scale “Felins” by Ludovic Alleaume (1859-1941) was exhibited in Paris at the 141st Exposition Officielle des Beaux-Arts in 1928. Symbolic and flamboyant, this painting is an example of Alleaume’s oeuvre, interweaving reality and imaginary, evoking a mystical and sensual atmosphere. It was painted one years after he received the prestigious National Order of the Legion of Honour – the highest French order of merit.
Lot 16: Ludovic Alleaume (1859-1941)
Felins (c.1927)
The decorative objects will feature vases, glassworks, and pieces of furniture by artists such as Georges de Feure or Emile Gallé (lots 30, 31, 56, 57), the French industrialist, glassmaker, cabinetmaker, and ceramist considered one of the most important figures in the applied arts of his time and one of the pioneers of Art Nouveau. He was the founder, with Victor Prouvé, Louis Majorelle, Antonin Daum et Eugène Vallin, of the Ecole de Nancy.
Additionally, the auction house is delighted to offer for bidding a bronze lamp by Maurice Dufrène (lot 51), some lots signed by Louis Majorelle and Daum Frères (lots 35, 52), an important peacock lamp in bronze and glass made by Muller Frères and Leon Chapelle (lot 53) and many more.
Lot 30: EMILE GALLE (1846-1904)
Flacon ‘Iris’ with silver lid
Lot 28: DAUM FRERES
Art Nouveau cameo glass vase
Sculptures will include works by Alexander Kelety (lot 47) and Henry Fugère (lot 46) among others, while silver pieces will comprise a Russian silver set with the mark of M.P. Ovchinnikov (lot 85), a four-piece set by Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitch (lot 86) and others, including Cartier pieces. The sculpture “Snake dancer” (lot 50) by Samuel Lipschitz represents his ability to convey the dynamism in his work. This Polish-born artist worked as a sculptor on marble and ivory in Paris and tragically died in Auschwitz in 1943.
Lot 50: SAMUEL LIPSCHITZ (1880-1943)
Snake dancer
Lot 51: MAURICE DUFRENE (1876–1955)
Art Nouveau bronze table lamp
The auction will offer an elegant selection of Jewellery, comprising 19th century brooches, a collection signed Cartier including cufflinks, a hat/tie pin, a gold cigarette case, table clocks and a lady’s tortoiseshell and suede clutch bag, and Chopard pendants. One of a kind ‘sculptures-to-wear’ artist’s jewellery – Lalique pendant (lot 89), Art Nouveau horn pendant by Elizabeth Bonte (lot 108) and Art Deco glass pendant by Gabriel Argu-Rousseau (lot 107). The sale will also feature some modern and contemporary jewellery designs: a highlight is a pear-shaped deep brown-yellow diamond ring with GIA certificate (lot 109) and a contemporary designed unique Colombian emerald and rock crystal ring with GRS certificate (lot 156).
The Jewellery sale has been prepared with the participation of Almaz Juwelenhandelsges m.b.H.,
Lot 109: PLATINUM FANCY DEEP BROWN-YELLOW DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RING (GIA CERTIFICATE)
Lot 156: COLOMBIAN* EMERALD, DIAMOND AND ROCK CRYSTAL RING (GRS CERTIFICATE)
Lot 158: EMERALD, DIAMOND AND SAPPHIRE PEACOCK BANGLE
Lot 143: DIAMOND, GOLD AND SILVER MEMORY BOOK PENDANT