For the Love of Art: A Masters Class by Cynthia Rutledge
©2024 by Cynthia Rutledge
Who is your most favorite painter in history? I have asked myself that question over and over since I started designing beadwork for a living. As many of you know, I love history, especially when the subject matter is about women. Whether a painting was created by a woman or a portrait was painted of a woman, both are intriguing to me. Not that I don’t have favorites created by men, certainly I do, but I mostly design inspired by women. I want to know who they are and what their lives were like. If my inspiration is about the painter, I want to know who they painted and where they painted. If my inspiration is directed to the person in the painting, I want to know who they are and as much about their lives as possible.
So, what do I look for in a painting to inspire me to design? Many times, I am looking at clothing and jewelry, then I look at color and composition. If the person is famous, what were they famous for? What in their history has a tale to tell? You may ask, who are my favorite painters? The list isn’t too long but it does include Élizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755 – 1842) (the court painter for Marie Antoinette); Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675) (The Girl with the Pearl Earring); Sandro Botticelli (1445 – 1510); Mary Cassatt (1844 – 1926); Lavinia Fontana (1552 – 1614) and Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828 – 1882) to name just a few. Do you have a list?
For the Love of Art focuses on the relationship between you and a favorite painter’s paintings. This style of box was called a “casket” in the 18th century. Basically, it means a trinket box and would have been placed on a lady’s toilette table. It usually contained the lady’s earrings and necklaces so that they were in easy reach.
The construction of the box begins with a metal base that is bezeled. The wall of the box comes off of the base to the desired height. This style of box usually had feet, so CZs and pearl cabs are bezeled to lift the box up off the table for better scale. In my first sample, I focused on the works of Élizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. Four of her most well-known paintings are centered around the outside of the box, under glass domes. Between each painting is a flourish of marquise cut and round CZs, breaking up the bezel work of the paintings.
As in the caskets of the time, the lid is no exception to this style. It was common to have a “portrait diamond” as the button/handle that would assist in lifting the lid off the box. In the age of the royal Fabergé eggs, a portrait diamond was a flat-bottomed diamond that was faceted along the sides. An enameled portrait would be placed under the diamond to magnify the image.
The lid base is metal onto which the beadwork is attached. The button has a self-portrait of Élizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun under a glass dome that is bezeled and extended to get height. A floor is created in beadwork to hold a ring of set CZ’s to pull the portrait colors together. The underside of the lid has a construction to hold the lid into place, securely.
For the Love of Art: A Masters Class will dive into the design process with a focus on your favorite paintings. Whether you choose to have a mix of different artists or you focus on one artist’s work will be up to you. You could also personalize it by using images of your family or your pets. This box will be an heirloom piece, so designing it however you like is very important.
Skill level: Advanced.
Workshop Length: This workshop is designed for our Beadventures Travel “Cruise the Eastern Seaboard” event.
Dimensions: 3.5 inches wide by 4.25 inches high