Peter Carl Fabergé
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Peter Carl Fabergé | |
---|---|
Петер Карл Фаберже | |
Born | |
Died | 24 September 1920 | (aged 74)
Nationality | Russian |
Other names | Karl Gustavovich Fabergé |
Spouse |
Augusta Julia Jacobs
(m. 1872) |
Children | 4, including Agathon and Alexander |
Parent |
|
Relatives | Agathon Fabergé (brother) |
Website | www |
Peter Carl Fabergé, also Karl Gustavovich Fabergé (Russian: Петер Карл Густавович Фаберже, romanized: Peter Karl Gustavovich Faberzhe; 30 May [O.S. 18 May] 1846 – 24 September 1920) was a Russian jeweller best known for the famous Fabergé eggs made in the style of genuine Easter eggs, but using precious metals and gemstones rather than more mundane materials. He was one of the sons of the founder of the famous jewelry legacy House of Fabergé.
Early life
Fabergé was born in
Until he was 14 years old he went to the German St Anne School in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[citation needed] In 1860 his father retired from his jewelry business and moved with his family to Germany. He left the House of Fabergé in Saint Petersburg in the hands of his business partner. Carl Fabergé undertook a course at the Dresden Arts and Crafts School. In 1862 Agathon Fabergé, the Fabergés' second son, was born in Dresden, Germany, where he went to school as well.[3]
In 1864, Peter Carl Fabergé embarked upon a Grand Tour of Europe. He received tuition from respected goldsmiths in Germany, France and England, attended a course at Schloss's Commercial College in Paris, and viewed the objects in the galleries of Europe's leading museums.
His travel and study continued until 1872, when at the age of 26 he returned to St. Petersburg and married Augusta Julia Jacobs. 1874 saw the arrival of his first child, Eugene Fabergé and two years later, Agathon Fabergé was born; Alexander Fabergé and Nicholas Fabergé followed in 1877 and 1884 respectively. For the following 10 years, his father's trusted workmaster Hiskias Pendin acted as his mentor and tutor. The company was also involved with cataloguing, repairing, and restoring objects in the Hermitage during the 1870s. In 1881 the business moved to larger street-level premises at 16/18 Bolshaya Morskaya.
Taking over the family business
Upon the death of Hiskias Pendin in 1882, Carl Fabergé took sole responsibility for running the company. Carl was awarded the title Master Goldsmith, which permitted him to use his own hallmark in addition to that of the firm. In 1885 his brother Agathon Fabergé joined the firm and became Carl Fabergé's main assistant in the designing of jewelry.[4]
Carl and
When Peter Carl took over the House, there was a move from producing jewellery in the then-fashionable French 18th century style to becoming artist-jewellers. Fabergé's production of the very first so-called
Easter eggs
In light of the Empress' response to receiving one of Fabergé's eggs on Easter, the Tsar soon commissioned the company to make an Easter egg as a gift for her every year thereafter. The Tsar placed an order for another egg the following year. Beginning in 1887, the Tsar apparently gave Carl Fabergé complete freedom with regard to egg designs, which then became more and more elaborate. According to Fabergé Family tradition, not even the Tsar knew what form they would take— the only stipulation was that each one should be unique and each should contain a surprise. Upon the death of Alexander III, his son, the next Tsar,
Although today the House of Fabergé is famed for its Imperial Easter eggs, it made many more objects ranging from silver tableware to fine jewelry which were also of exceptional quality and beauty, and until its departure from Russia during the revolution, Fabergé's company became the largest jewelry business in the country. In addition to its
In 1900, Fabergé's work represented Russia at the
Stock, Russian Revolution and nationalisation
In 1916, the House of Fabergé became a joint-stock company with a capital of 3 million rubles.
The following year upon the outbreak of the October Revolution, the business was taken over by a 'Committee of the Employees of the Company K Fabergé'. In 1918 The House of Fabergé was seized by the Bolsheviks. In early October the stock was confiscated. The House of Fabergé was no more. [citation needed]
After the
Peter Carl Fabergé never recovered from the shock of the
Fabergé had five sons, four of whom lived to adulthood: Eugène (1874–1960), Agathon (1876–1951), Alexander (1877–1952), Nikolai (1881-1883), and Nicholas (1884–1939). Descendants of Peter Carl Fabergé live in mainland Europe, Scandinavia and South America.[citation needed]
Personal life
Henry Bainbridge, a manager of the London branch of the House of Fabergé, recorded recollections of his meetings with his employer in both his autobiography[6] and the book he wrote about Fabergé.[7] The autobiography also records the memories of François Birbaum, Fabergé's senior master craftsman from 1893 until the House's demise.[8]
Tributes
On 30 May 2012, Google celebrated Peter Carl Fabergé’s 166th Birthday with a doodle.[9][10]
Memorials
- Ukraine, Kyiv, Khreschatyk Street, Building 15 (25) - Commemorative plaque.
References
- ^ "Peter Carl Fabergé Russian jeweler". Faberge Timeline. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ^ Fabergé Museum: Fabergé, sa famille et le développement de son entreprise Archived 2014-03-25 at the Wayback Machine, faberge-museum.de
- ^ HELFRICHT, JÜRGEN (2014-05-05). "Geheimes Grab der Fabergé-Familie entdeckt" (in German). Archived from the original on 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- ^ Carl Faberge[permanent dead link]
- ^ The Genius of Carl Faberge, Episode Two, 25 August 2018 BBC World News
- ^ Twice Seven: The Autobiography of H C Bainbridge (Routledge, London, 1933)
- ^ Fabergé: Goldsmith and Jeweller to the Imperial Court – His Life and Work (Batsford, London, 1949)
- ^ The History of the House of Fabergé according to the recollections of the senior master craftsman of the firm Franz P. Birbaum This was handwritten in 1919 at the request (or order) of the Soviet authorities. It added considerably to the knowledge of how the House of Fabergé operated. The English translation was published by Tatiana F Fabergé (great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé) and Valentin V. Skurlov in St. Petersburg in 1992.
- ^ "Peter Carl Fabergé's 166th Birthday". www.google.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
- ^ Desk, OV Digital (2023-05-29). "30 May: Remembering Peter Carl Fabergé on Birthday". Observer Voice. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
Bibliography
- Tatiana Fabergé, Lynekmkmtte G. Proler, Valentin V, Skurlov. The Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs (London, Christie's 1997) ISBN 0-297-83565-3
- The History of the House of Fabergé according to the recollections of the senior master craftsman of the firm, Franz P. Birbaum (St Petersburg, Fabergé and Skurlov, 1992)
- Henry Charles Bainbridge. Peter Carl Fabergé – Goldsmith and Jeweller to the Russian Imperial Court – His Life and Work (London 1979, Batsfords – later reprints available such as New York, Crescent Books, 1979)
- A Kenneth Snowman The Art of Carl Fabergé (London, Faber & Faber, 1953–68)SBN 571 05113 8
- Geza von Habsburg Fabergé (Geneva, Habsburg, Feldman Editions, 1987) ISBN 0-571-15384-4
- Alexander von Solodkoff & others. Masterpieces from the House of Fabergé (New York, Harry N Abrahams, 1984) ISBN 5-9900284-1-5
- Toby Faber. Faberge's Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire (New York: Random House, 2008) ISBN 978-1-4000-6550-9
- Gerald Hill. Faberge and the Russian Master Goldsmiths (New York: Universe, 2007) ISBN 978-0-7893-9970-0
- ISBN 0-517-40502-4