Art Nouveau Design Portfolio (14 Watercolors & 14 Pen & Ink Drawings)
NP: NP, 1899, 1900. Original artwork. Loose leaf. Elephant Folio. 27 plates. Original string-tied three quarter textured black cloth over pebbled cloth boards with plain labels on cover and spine.
A collection containing twenty-seven plates of watercolors and pen and ink drawings. Fourteen plates of jewelry designs are rendered in watercolor and thirteen plates with fourteen pen and ink drawings of marquetry. Thirteen of the fourteen color designs are initialed Ch. W. and dated 1900, one without initials and date. The pen and ink drawings are initialed Ch. W. and dated 99. All designs are mounted to stiff card stock.
The fourteen designs rendered in watercolor feature an array of jewelry designs. The plates measure 9 3/4 x 6 1/2" (ten) and 12 1/4 x 9 1/4" (four). All watercolor designs are framed with slightly varying designs. The plates feature stunning designs of barrettes, hairpins, earrings, lapel pins, brooches, bracelets, earrings, cuff links and a necklace.
The pen and ink drawings depict intricate designs for marquetry as well as decorative onlays for furniture. The plates have varying seizes from 9 3/4" in height to 7 1/8" in width. The last design is drawn on an unevenly cut piece of tan paper, then framed in the center (7 1/2 x 3 3/4") and finished here in detail in sepia tone and ink. The unfinished part of this drawing extends beyond the frame, here with only outlines of the design executed in ink.
Portfolio with light wear. Label on spine torn. All designs are laid to card stock in variant colors without descriptive text. The cardstock with light sunning and light wear along edges. Some pen and ink drawings (9 3/4 x 6 3/4") lightly wavy due to water exposure and with light glue stains seeping through paper. Same with four watercolor designs (12 1/4 x 9 1/4"), but none of the actual designs are affected. Good to very good condition. Item #50536
Price: $2,750.00