Founder of her own cosmetics empire, Polish American business magnate Helena Rubinstein (1872–1965) exemplified the height of modern fashion in her public persona. A noted philanthropist and art collector, she was a patron of Latin American art and continued to build her collection during annual trips to Mexico. This necklace, created specifically for Rubinstein by celebrated silver designer William Spratling, combines her public and personal interests. The form is borrowed from a gold halo—the original of which was in Rubinstein’s own collection—that would have been worn by an image of the Virgin Mary. Rubinstein was so fond of this necklace that she wore it while sitting for a portrait by the Mexican artist Roberto Montenegro (https://www.si.edu/object/helena-rubinstein%3Anpg_NPG.2011.141) in 1941.
Trained as an architect, Spratling moved from New Orleans to Taxco, Mexico, where he established his first silver workshop in 1931. Working alongside master silversmiths and local apprentices, in 1935 he opened his famed Taller de Las Delicias, which attracted a cohort of international artists, intellectuals, and Hollywood celebrities. Spratling’s emphasis on craftsmanship and his experimentation with different sources, including Mesoamerican art, Art Deco, and modernism, contributed to his great success and helped revitalize the Mexican silver industry.
Rachel Kaplan
2024
