Georg Jensen Jewelry

Brooch

1914. Collection of a Danish Gentleman.

Silver. Although silver is found freely in nature, its occurrence is rare. Silver is the most chemically active of the noble metals, is harder than gold but softer than copper. It ranks second in ductility and malleability to gold. It is normally stable in pure air and water but tarnishes when exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide or sulfur. Due to its softness, pure silver is used for ornaments, jewelry and as a measure of wealth.

Discovered in 4000 BC, silver became a prized metal. Silver is the companion metal, the yin to gold's yang. Silver is associated with lunar power, the secrets of women, and it is distinctly feminine and cool. Silver has been known to have antibacterial properties, and both silver and gold have been used in the healing arts since at least Roman times.

But after centuries of use, it was a Dane that took the metal to new glory. Danish silversmith Georg Jensen achieved international prominence for his commercial application of modern metal design. The simple elegance of his works and emphasis on fine craftsmanship, hallmarks of Jensen's products, are recognized around the world.

From July 14 through October 16, 2005, The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture is presenting Georg Jensen Jewelry,

the first comprehensive examination of the renowned Danish silversmith's jewelry production, exploring its evolution from the firm's founding in 1904 to the mid 1970s. Georg Jensen, one of the greatest design companies of the 20th century, is still in operation today.

Background on George Jensen

Georg Jensen (1866–1935) founded his eponymous silver smithy in Copenhagen in 1904. Though he finished his apprenticeship with the goldsmith A. R. Andersen at the age of 18, his true ambition was to be a sculptor. He soon fashioned a plaster bust of his father that gained him admission into the Royal Danish Academy of Art in 1887. Despite critical success at international exhibitions, his career as a sculptor did not prove to be financially viable. His next venture, a small art-pottery workshop with his friend Joachim Petersen, also failed to make a profit. Their atypical creations, featuring fantastical figures and unusual glazes, received mixed critical reception.

Necklace Steffan Anderson.  1969. The Silver Fund Collection.

Buckle
1907. The Silver Fund Collection.

Bracelet
Henning Koppel. 1947. The Silver Fund Collection.

Belt buckle. Collection of a Danish gentleman.

Jensen returned to metalwork in 1901, taking a job as a foreman for the painter-turned-goldsmith Mogens Ballin. His two years at Ballin's firm undoubtedly influenced his design sensibility, and when he opened his own workshop in 1904, the stylistic similarities between Jensen's and Ballin's jewelry were striking. Success came quickly for Jensen, who had a natural aptitude for fashioning silver and soon developed his hallmark sculptural style. His thoroughly fresh and modern jewelry established his reputation as one of the foremost Danish designers of his time. Hollowware and flatware production followed in the wake of his critical and financial triumph. International museums, such as the Danish Museum; for Decorative Art and the Folkwang Museum in Germany, quickly recognized the exceptional quality of the design and craftsmanship of his work and promptly purchased Jensen pieces for their collections. 

In 1909, a retail shop opened in Berlin, and the following year, Jensen received a gold medal for the work he displayed at the International Exhibition in Brussels. In 1912, a larger workshop and a larger retail shop opened in Copenhagen. Jensen silver was exhibited for the first time in the United States; in 1915 at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, receiving much critical acclaim. In 1921, a retail shop debuted in London; and, in 1924, another in New York City. International awards continued with the grand prix at international exhibitions in Paris (1925), Barcelona (1929), and Brussels (1935). 

Reflecting on his career at the age of 60, Jensen said in 1926, "I felt that in silver I could unite my skills as a sculptor and a smith." Even at the height of his success as a silversmith, he never ceased to identify himself as a sculptor, a title he displayed prominently on his company letterhead. Indeed, his sensibility as a sculptor informed his work as a smith and set him apart from his contemporaries. His dual identity as craftsman and artist largely contributed to his phenomenal success and found its greatest harmony in his works in silver.

For more info go to www.bgc.bard.edu.