(1902-1995)

Gérard Sandoz came from a long-established line of clockmakers and jewelers. His grandfather, Gustave Sandoz, opened a shop in Paris in 1861 at the Palais Royal. Nearby you would find Boucheron and Fontana. Gustave founded the Société d’Encouragement à l’Art et à l’Industrie along with Gustave Larroumet. Their mission was “The development of the arts applied to decoration and industry by the collaboration of the State and private initiatives, and the renewal models of the art industries through the rational cooperation of the artist, the industrialist, the publisher, the craftsman, the art worker.” He also founded the Foire de Paris, the largest general fair in Europe to this day. His son, Gustave-Roger (Gérard’s father), moved the firm to the rue Royale and, as vice-president of the French committee for exhibitions and Commander of the Légion d’Honneur, was a prominent promoter of the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes.

As a youth, Gérard studied at the prestigious boarding school, École des Roches. Furthering his education, he took lessons in design at the Chambre Syndicale de la Bijouterie, Joaillerie, Ovfèvrerie and studied with famed sculptor and Art Nouveau medalist, Louis Bottée. To round things out he trained with his uncle, Paul Follot, as an interior designer. In 1920 at the tender age of eighteen, Gérard joined the firm and at 19 he married Juliette Vuillaume. Gérard noted for his charming personality, led a thoroughly full and fabulously modern life of excess fun. Inspiration for the various art forms he would create came from the modern, machine-age world he lived in, taking his cues from architecture, automobiles, and the jazz-age aesthetic forming around him.

A member of the Union des Artistes Moderns (UAM) from its inception Gérard exemplified their ideals. His preference was for simple forms and geometric lines bare of any superfluous frills and frivolity. Descriptions of his work include words like Cubist, Bold, Chunky, and Sculptural. Preferring to work with contrasting colors such as coral and onyx, the resulting creations were bold. It is interesting to note that he was color blind and wonder what effect that had on his material choices and contrast preferences. While he didn’t actually eschew the use of diamonds, he preferred them as accents to his bolder semiprecious gem choices and colored gold combinations. Red and black lacquer figured heavily in his designs, sometimes augmented with the addition of eggshells adding a mosaic-like effect. Niello was also a frequent medium he employed to great results on silver with graphic designs.