Collecting the Belle Époque: works of art, jewellery and posters (1880–1914)

Glass dominated works of art during this period. In Nancy, Émile Gallé (1846–1904) elevated glassmaking to an art form, creating multi-layered crystal pieces with acid etchings and metal oxide inclusions featuring motifs inspired by botany and entomology. As founder of the École de Nancy in 1901, Gallé inspired the Daum brothers and cabinetmaker Louis Majorelle to follow in his footsteps. Their vases, lamps, and furniture are highly sought after by Art Nouveau enthusiasts. Alongside glass, this period produced ceramics with flamed glazes, Symbolist bronzes and clocks, as well as display pieces on which nature is depicted in the form of dragonflies, umbels and thistles. Mass-produced acid-etched pieces offer an accessible introduction to this world, before moving on to unique hand-blown pieces.

René Lalique (1860–1945) spearheaded an aesthetic revolution in jewellery. Having trained in Paris and London, he broke with tradition by celebrating materials and motifs such as horn, ivory, translucent enamel, opal and moulded glass, which he combined with gold to create dragonflies, flower-women and peacocks. Sarah Bernhardt was among his clients, which cemented his reputation as early as the 1890s. Around him, jewellery houses such as Vever, Fouquet and Boucheron also adopted the Art Nouveau style. Collectors can find brooches, pendants, combs and tiaras where the value lies as much in the design as in the gemstones. Signed and documented pieces are highly sought after at public auctions, while high-quality, more discreet, anonymous creations remain accessible to patient collectors who pay close attention to the condition of the enamel.

Advances in colour lithography transformed the streets into galleries. Jules Chéret, known as the father of the poster, covered Paris with his cheerful ‘Chérettes’; Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec designed ‘La Goulue’ for the Moulin Rouge as early as 1891, followed by ‘Aristide Bruant’ in 1893; and Alphonse Mucha made his mark with female figures surrounded by floral motifs. The 1881 law on freedom of display fuelled this profusion. Between 1895 and 1900, Chéret published ‘Les Maîtres de l’Affiche’, a series of 256 plates showcasing ninety-seven artists, now highly prized for their quality and affordability. Antique posters require careful scrutiny: formats, print runs, restorations, and mountings on canvas all affect their value. The loose plates from Les Maîtres represent a sensible first step towards acquiring original, large-format works.

Paper is the most accessible area of collecting. The Belle Époque coincided with the golden age of the illustrated postcard, which circulated by the millions and depicted streets, monuments, cabarets, and exhibition pavilions. The two World’s Fairs left behind a wealth of memorabilia, including bronze plaques engraved by Louis Bottée, medals, certificates, official guides, tickets, and illustrated menus. This field is rounded off by menus from fine restaurants, theatre programmes, advertising chromolithographs and blotting papers, on which Art Nouveau motifs can even be found in the most humble printed matter. For collectors, the appeal lies in the subject matter and condition of an item, as well as the presence of period stamps or correspondence, which anchor the piece to a specific moment in time. A coherent collection centred on a place or event takes on a documentary value greater than the sum of its parts.

A fine Belle Époque collection is based on three key considerations. Firstly, provenance: signatures, workshop marks, invoices and sales catalogues reinforce attribution and provide reassurance when reselling. Secondly, consider the condition of the pieces. For glass, look out for chips and grinding marks. For jewellery, check the condition of the enamel and settings. For posters, check for creases, missing sections and restorations. Thirdly, coherence: a unifying theme (such as a glassmaker, poster artist, floral motif or event) gives the collection a narrative and depth that cannot be matched by scattered purchases. Public auctions, specialist fairs, galleries and flea markets offer complementary entry points, ranging from the most well-researched to the most adventurous. The online resources of major museums allow you to educate yourself before making a purchase by comparing authentic pieces with those currently on the market.