A must-see for anyone going to New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) has organized an exhibition of over 400 works by the famous jewelry designer Joel A. Rosenthal, who works in Paris under the name Jar, until March. The exhibition is the first retrospective of his work in the United States and also the first retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum dedicated to a jeweler. Rosenthal grew up in the Bronx, a difficult neighborhood in New York, and spent much of his life visiting the city’s museums. But from New York Rosenthal moved to Harvard University and then to Paris to graduate in 1966. In Paris Rosenthal met Pierre Jeannet, a decisive encounter. In 1973 the two opened an embroidery shop. Favorite subject: flowers. Then, it was the turn of stones. After less than a year the embroidery shop was forgotten to focus on jewelry. In 1976, Rosenthal returned to New York to gain experience at Bulgari, before moving to Paris with his own maison: Jar.
An immediate success, so much so that in 1978 he opened his own store in Place Vendôme, the temple of jewelry. At first managed only by Rosenthal and Jeannet, then expanded, in 1987, to a larger store, where it is still located today. Jar does not only have a commercial objective, but also an artistic one. The careful selection of stones is used for compositions that transform into unique jewels. And he introduced the use of blackened silver metal to bring out the color of the stones and the shine of the diamonds. His technique in composing the pavé has become a style, as has his work with diamonds.
Two recurring themes in his production are flowers and butterflies, often used for brooches. All pieces that the exhibition at the Met shows in their splendor.
