Cartier and Islamic Art: У Search of Modernity

A sumptuous exploration of the influence of the Islamic arts on Cartier’s jewelry, published to accompany a major exhibition at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Cartier and Islamic Art traces the glorious ways Islamic art has inspired Maison Cartier from the early 20th century to today, showing how its geometric patterns and opulent colour palette augured the birth of a decidedly modern aesthetic. Masterpieces of Islamic art, including works brought together from Louis Cartier’s extraordinary personal collection, as well as archival drawings, books and photographs, sit alongside dazzling period photographs of Cartier jewelry, while in-depth texts by distinguished scholars of both Islamic art and architecture as well as the decorative arts illuminate and celebrate the beauty of Islamic art and the astonishing creative genius of Maison Cartier.

Accompanies the exhibition at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, from 21 October 2021 to 20 February 2022.

Contents List:

Forewords by Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Cyrille Vigneron, Agustín Arteaga, Olivier Gabet and Pierre Rainero

CATALOGUE

Cartier – The Story
Pascale Lepeu

A Journey into the Cartier Archives
Violette Petit

The “Revelation” of Islamic Arts: a Path to Modernity?
Judith Henon-Raynaud and Évelyne Possémé

Exquisite Manuscripts and Inlaid Objects: Reconstructing Louis Cartier’s Collection of Islamic Art
Judith Henon-Raynaud

Cartier and India: a Source of Formal and Technical Renewal
Évelyne Possémé

Cartier’s lexicon of forms: Abstractions, the ‘Arab’ Style, and the ‘Persian’ Style
Heather Ecker

An Exploration of Islamic Aesthetic Influence on Cartier’s Graphics, 1909-1940
Sarah Schleuning

APPENDIX

Check list of exhibited works
(with illustrations)

Comprehensive list of Louis Cartier’s collection (with illustrations)

About the Authors:

Heather Ecker is Marguerite S. Hoffman and Thomas W. Lentz Curator of Islamic and Medieval Art at Dallas Museum of Art. Judith Henon-Renaud is Deputy Director of the Department of Islamic Arts at the Louvre. Pascale Lepeu is curator of the Cartier Collection. Violette Petit is head of the Cartier Paris Archives. Évelyne Possémé is Chief Curator, Art Nouveau-Art Deco and Antique and Modern Jewelry at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. Sarah Schleuning is Interim Chief Curator and The Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at Dallas Museum of Art.

List of Contributors:

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Cyrille Vigneron, Agustín Arteaga, Olivier Gabet, Pierre Rainero