Renaissance gold nave-shaped pendant, coral, gold, enamel, height 7.5 cm, Alfred André, Paris, circa 1860
Alfred André (1839-1919), French jeweler, opened his own shop in 1859. He combined the work of a jeweler with the activities of an antiquarian, studied ancient works of art and the working methods of old masters. He studied and revived old enamelling techniques and specialized in the restoration of medieval and renaissance applied arts. André worked closely with the Rothschilds, the Parisian antiquary Frederick Spitzer, and the jeweler Reinhold Vasters, whom he met through Frederick Spitzer, and who entrusted him with the restoration and creation of objects in the Renaissance style. His fortune grew, and in 1880 he bought a large four-story house at 15 rue Dufrenois in the fashionable sixteenth arrondissement. In the left wing of the house there were workshops for performing various types of jewelry work. Andre worked not only with other jewelers, but also with hardstone carvers and ceramists.
Golden pendant in the form of a reclining lamb with a body of baroque pearls, gold, precious stones, enamel, height 7 cm, probably by Alfred André, Paris, late 19th century.
The high quality of his work brought Alfred André international recognition and a prestigious clientele. His reputation as a restorer was well known, so he was invited to restore a Milanese rock crystal coffin at the Escorial (today kept in the Real Palace in Madrid). For this work he was awarded the Order of Charles III by the Spanish royal family in 1885.
By 1907 André had handed over the family business to his son Leon Alexandre (1873-1954). And since then he has lived in an apartment on Boulevard Flandrin, not far from his former home. During his life he collected old works of art, creating a solid collection of antiques. The cost of his collection at an auction in 1920 amounted to about five hundred thousand francs.
Pair of Renaissance jewelry vases with mermaid handles, gold, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and enamel, 11 cm high, probably by Alfred André, Paris, circa 1860
Models have survived to this day, according to which castings were made for frames in the Renaissance style from the workshop of Alfred André. Together with the drawings of Reinhard Vasters, these materials make it possible to reliably identify works of art that were considered the work of Renaissance goldsmiths for most of the twentieth century, and this speaks volumes about the high skill and talent of these goldsmiths.
Bowl with agate lid set in gold with enamel and precious stones, probably Alfred André, Paris, late 19th century.Renaissance gold pendant with an angel, gold, gems, enamel, 10 cm high, Alfred André, Paris, circa 1880Renaissance gold pendant set with precious stones and enamel, height 18 cm, Alfred André, Paris, circa 1860Pendant in the shape of a white horse, set with precious stones and enamel, height 7.5 cm, probably by Alfred André, Paris, late 19th century.Gold pendant with Saint George slaying the dragon, gold, precious stones and enamel, height 11 cm, Alfred André, Paris, circa 1860Gold pendant in the form of Tablets surrounded by standing figures of Work and Rest, gold, precious stones and enamel, height 8.6 cm, Alfred André, Paris, circa 1860Bull pendant, gold, gems and enamel, height 9.8 cm, attributed to Alfred André, Paris, circa 1860Gold pendant depicting Saint George defeating the dragon, gold, gems and enamel, 8 cm high, 1860Gold pendant in the shape of an ostrich, gold, gems and enamel, height 9.5 cm, circa 1860Golden deer pendant, gold, gems and enamel, 14 cm high, Paris, circa 1860Baroque gold pendant, gold, gems and enamel, 8.3 cm high, 1840Gold pendant with baroque pearl in the shape of a seahorse, gold, precious stones and enamel, 4 cm high, 1860Reversible gold pendant with Venus and Cupid in niches, gold, precious stones and enamel, 4 cm high, 1870Golden pendant with baroque pearl in the form of a sea deity, gold, precious stones and enamel, 14 cm high, Paris, circa 1860Renaissance gold pendant with Venus and Jupiter, gems and enamel, 11.2 cm high, Paris, circa 1860Renaissance gold pendant depicting a dog on an enamel cushion, gold, gems and enamel, 14 cm high, Paris, late 19th century
