Paris, France — For over five centuries now, the Renaissance enamels of Limoges have captivated collectors all over the world. They shine, defying time and never fading. In an 1866 poem addressed to enameller Claudius Popelin, Théophile Gautier praised “the immarcescible enamel” – a vitrified material whose gleam resists the passing of centuries. The French word immarcescible means literally that which cannot wilt. In the late 15th century, Limoges, already renowned for its medieval champlevé enamels, developed a new method of painting on copper. Copper, coated with colored glass and fired in a kiln, yields a smooth, glossy, and enduring surface: neither light, nor air, nor time can dull its deep hues or the delicate gold highlights applied by brush. 

An exhibition at the prestigious Parisian Galerie Kugel is presenting the story of these spectacular works along with that of their visionary collectors like J. P. Morgan, Henry Clay Frick, William Randolph Hearst, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent. The works gathered in this exhibition span a century of excellence, from 1520 to 1620, marked by the rise of this distinctly French art form. Renaissance Limoges enamels have long been a specialty of Galerie Kugel. In the 1990s, Hubert de Givenchy sold to Alexis and Nicolas Kugel his renowned “chariot of Apollo” cabinet by Boulle, together with the collection of enamels it contained. Presented at the Biennale des Antiquaires in 1994, this collection was not dispersed: the Kugel brothers sold it as a whole, within hours of the opening, to Pierre Bergé.

The Galerie Kugel, located in the Hôtel Collot on Quai Anatole France, across from the Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris, has become an essential destination for collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts. Nicolas and Alexis Kugel represent the fifth generation of an art dealer family, a tradition established in the early 19th century. In 2015, Laura, representing the sixth generation, joined the gallery. The exhibition is on until December 20th from 11am until 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Free entry during the temporary exhibitions. To book appointments at other times: + 33 (0)1 42 60 86 23.  25, quai Anatole-France 75007, Paris, France. Special to The Gourmet Gazette. See also: https://thegourmetgazette.com/2023/11/10/living-amber/