Art Deco Elegance: The Works of Jean Després
“I am not a jeweler. I work with force, not with finesse,” said visionary Art Deco era designer Jean Després. The son of a French jewelry maker with a keen eye for metalworking, Després spent his formative years mingling with famed artists Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Amedeo Modigliani in the lively streets of Paris. Each of Després’ bold and brutal designs—imagined and crafted entirely by himself—encapsulate the dynamic, streamlined aesthetic of the Art Deco age.
Maison Rouvenat, Felix Despres Circa 1930
Unlike other jewelers of the 20th century who centered their designs around precious jewels, Després worked primarily with metal to create robust, structural pieces. After putting his early design career on pause during WWI to produce aircraft parts, Després’ post-war creations were inspired by industrial materials, featuring ‘blocky’, geometric silhouettes. Inspired by his innovative artist peers, Després’ works of this time fit into the Cubist school of design.
These avant-garde pieces feature unconventional materials which create depth and artistic flair. Coral, chalcedony, onyx, malachite and lapis were used for color, while thin sheets of gold were used sparingly for textural contrast. Nicknamed the “Picasso of Jewelry Work”, Després’ fresh designs caught the eye of Andy Warhol, an enthusiastic collector of his work. Vock & Vintage proudly offers a ring designed by Després’ from Warhol’s collection, a stunning Art Moderne Silver Ring consisting of structured metal topped with a hammered sphere.
The intrinsic connection between the work of Després and visual art is apparent in his “bijoux glaces” and “bijoux moteurs” collections. “Bijoux-glaces” contained tiny Cubist paintings reverse-painted on glass by Surrealist artist Etienne Cournault. French civil rights activist Josephine Baker became enchanted by these intricate designs, with one brooch imprinted with a dancing figure reportedly made in her likeness. The “Bijoux Moteurs” line, which translates to “engine jewelry”, featured motifs reminiscent of rods, cog-wheels, and gears, echoing imagery seen in the paintings of Fernand Legers.
Works by Després are currently on display at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, among others. “I love metal”, says Després. “You have no idea what pleasure it gives me to see the material bend under the anvil and hear it grate in the vice. I tame it, but without breaking it. The idea is to leave all its vitality and suppleness intact.”
Jean Després Necklace