Customer Reviews

Cartier (Universe of Design)

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The Cartiers were more than successful jewelers; they created objects d'art for royalty and the growing bourgeoisie. Cartier, (Universe of Design) provides an engaging history of the House of Cartier, but lacks detailed explanation for a reader with an avid interest in following the Cartiers' development in design. Trétiack, the author, successfully gives a general background on the founders, their interests, and events that influenced their design. However, the book fails to integrate photographs and illustrations when discussing the design innovations of the Cartiers, leaving the reader unclear about what these designs looked like and how they were executed. Louis Cartier refrained from adopting the Art Nouveau style and experimented, eventually creating the garland style. A brief explanation of the garland style was given, but not illustrated or supplemented with photos. In Cartier, (Universe of Design), the pictures that follow the text are not sufficient, though they give the reader a brief introduction to the Cartiers' exquisite creations. Louis-François Cartier experimented with animal motifs, but only one pictorial example exists for an elephant, snake and panther ("signature") bracelet. It is disconcerting to initially view these pictures without detailed captions for each photo, but this is probably intended rather than an oversight, allowing a less distracted impression of each piece of jewelry. Thumbnails with captions are indexed at the end of the book for reference if desired.

Cartier, (Universe of Design) is ample for anyone attempting to gain a general knowledge about the House of Cartier, but wanting in detail for a student or individual looking to study jewelry design.

The photos are fun to look at but this book isn't very "meaty." It's more like a great catalog than a book.