Sensational Provocative Picasso Paintings Seen in Glass
Gemmail Picasso paintings sculpted in glass and light
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso declared, “A new art is born – the gemmaux!” about a newly invented technology whereby layers of coloured glass are collaged and then fused in a kiln.
When lit from behind, gemmaux (plural of gemmail) emit three-dimensional colours that cannot be reproduced on canvas or paper.
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Picasso (1881-1973) was so enamoured with the process that he consented to “gemmistes” recreating his works and him signing about sixty panels.
Hong Kong Gemmaux collection
As part of the French May festival, a local collector agreed to exhibit nineteen gemmaux at the University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong.
Staging the exhibition has been challenging. Dr Florian Knothe, the museum director, pointed out that some panels weigh as much as 150kg and require a forklift to position.
In addition, during installation, there were technical issues with the light boxes, breakage of some of the glass sheets protecting the gemmaux, and some artworks that were rejected for being too suggestive.
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Artist Jean Crotti (1870-1958) developed gemmail “enamel gems” in the 1930s in pursuit of a new way to incorporate light in artwork. Frustrated by the technical problems of adhering glass in a way that maintained colour, he turned to physicist Roger Malherbe-Navarre (1908-2006).
Jean Crotti patent Gemmaux
Malherbe solved the technical problem, helped to develop the light boxes, and streamlined the production process. Crotti patented the technique and, in 1955, sold the patent to Malherbe.
Malherbe set up a studio in Paris called Les Gemmaux de France, where they made the panels. Their output went to churches for stained glass windows, architects who wanted showpieces for public spaces and private collectors.
Picasso painting replicated in glass
In 1954, Malherbe and his artist friend Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) replicated Picasso’s 1938 painting Le Coq (The Rooster) in gemmail and presented it to Picasso. He loved it and collaborated with Malherbe over the next four years to create the works on display.
A question raised is are gemmail panels “real” Picassos? Most art books about Picasso do not mention them, and it is unlikely that he physically arranged the glass in the panels. But it was Picasso who was intimately involved with the creation process.
Picasso artistic direction
It was Picasso who decided which paintings would be replicated, it was with his insistence that gemmistes use glass shards, not just uniformly cut glass, to create the collage, and his sign-off was required before completion.
Although Malherbe’s team indeed executed the works, the design – that is the intellectual property right – is undoubtedly Picasso’s.
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Each Picasso gemmail has an original signature, and unlike a Picasso ceramic, of which there may be hundreds of the same edition, each of these gemmail is one-of-a-kind.
In the past, these panels were undervalued. The difficulty maintaining, transporting and displaying, and the question about who the actual artist is has limited the pool of potential buyers.
Demand for these one-of-a-kind Picasso
This is no longer the case; with Picasso passing away fifty years ago and his fame continuing to escalate, any art with his name attached appreciates in value.
The provenance of these pieces was proven with an exhibition tour that included the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA) in New York City, the Corning Glass Museum in New York State, Galerie Charpentier in Paris and other galleries in Monaco and Japan.
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Gemmail panels have been purchased by the Emperor of Japan, Nelson Rockefeller, Prince Rainier of Monaco, and the Rothschild family.
Gemmaux must be appreciated in person; regardless of the image quality, pictures cannot accurately convey the sensory experience provided by physical proximity.
They are designed to be seen with light projecting through the coloured glass. From a distance – and in pictures – the images appear smooth, flawless, and complete.
The colours created in light are unlike those on canvas; they are more intense in places and barely noticeable in others.
Sculptural effect of layers and light
Moving closer to the image makes visible the work’s sculptural aspect, the art’s depth. Shards of broken, uneven glass are layered upon each other in a way that focuses and diffuses light.
Up close, the work is chaotic, messy, and even flawed but undoubtedly unapologetically human.
Portrait of Marie-Therese Walter
Gemmaux have been called a recreation of paintings, but a better description is as a reinterpretation. If you compare the image of the painting Portrait of Marie-Therese Walter with the gemmail by the same name, it is clear they are very different.
Each is portrait created are appealing for different reasons.
Picasso encouraged other artists to work in the gemmail media, but few did, and none created as many as he did. Over time, the practice of creating in gemmail fell out of favour, so they are now a rare sight.
Nineteen gemmaux of Picasso’s work were displayed at the University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong.
Test & Photos Martin Wray
