France / c. 1900
Hand Mirror
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Hand Mirror as miscellaneous (France · c. 1900).
The mirror’s relief of Venus may be the only example of Rodin providing an ornament for a small decorative object.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this miscellaneous as gold, enamel, and ivory and credits Félix Bracquemond (French, 1833–1914).
The museum's collection notes: We often think of art as the work of just one person. In the case of this mirror, its harmonious appearance conceals the number of people involved in its creation. The designer Félix Bracquemond was commissioned by wealthy banker Baron Joseph Vitta to create decorative objects for his multiple homes. Bracquemond worked with other artists in making this mirror: well-known sculptor Auguste Rodin created the figure of Venus; artisan Alexandre Riquet fashioned the elaborate enameled decoration; and goldsmiths from Parisian jewelers Falize Frères completed the mirror and its blue translucent frame embedded with yellow, pink, and white flowers. Thr
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHand MirrorOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.