This just may demonstrate the truest definition of Impressionism. In L’eglise de Varengeville et les falaises, land meets sea and sky in a bold, mesmerizing display of color and texture on a clear afternoon. Renoir painted this fascinating scene in 1880, at the ripe age of 39. This is generally considered the peak of Renoir’s career, whose most revered paintings were produced in the late 1870’s and early 1880’s. Renoir’s mastery of outdoor light is eloquently rendered here, as is his genius for conveying mood through varying brushstrokes. The land is portrayed with short, impulsive strokes, giving it certain wildness, while the sky and ocean are rendered calm and peaceful with long, gentle washes of color. This ability to capture the explosive sensation is essential to Impressionism and a hallmark of Renoir’s work.

This subject matter was particularly dear to Renoir, which makes the painting especially valuable. Whereas Renoir regularly took portrait commissions to stay financially afloat in Paris, he retreated to the Normandy coast in the summers of 1879 and 1880 to relax and embrace the landscapes that continually inspired him. The bold, rich hues that comprise the windswept cliff denote the passion with which Renoir approached this scenery. During these summers, Renoir was housed by his important patron, Paul-Antoine Berard at his country château in Wargemont.

Without question, Renoir had the remarkable ability to translate the ordinary into the extraordinary. Working closely with Monet, he began experimenting with the portrayal of light and its effect on his canvases. The youngest member of the Impressionist movement, the astute painter recognized that a subject was constantly changing due to the dynamic effects of light on color. As is visible when examining his work, Renoir captured a particular moment in time, or an “impression” of a scene, rather than a static and overly refined depiction that begs for explanation.

I can’t say enough how much this painting captures the essentials of Impressionism.  Please give me a call, I would love to discuss the painting with you.

Round Dining Table by Robert Jupe

For years, furniture designers tried to figure out how to make round tables expand while still maintaining their shape.  Several designs have come about, but none have come to close to the elegance, sophistication, and engineering genius of “Jupe’s Improved Expanding Table,” invented by London upholsterer Robert Jupe, registered as patent 6,788, on September 11 1835.

Made of Cuban mahogany in the 1830s and in exquisite condition, this Jupe table is an extremely rare find.  Designers of the Regency era sought to combine the most advanced technical innovations of the day with superb and beautiful craftsmanship.

The Table Expanded

Though Robert Jupe’s incredibly innovative table was well received, his company, Johnstone, Jupe & Co., produced it for only 5 years (1830-1835.)  Jupe’s clever mechanism has been widely copied by designers such as Oscar de la Renta in New York and Theodore Alexander in London.

Eight crescent-shaped iron bars are attached on one end to the undersides of eight pie-slice shaped pieces of wood that comprise the tabletop. The iron bars are attached on their other end to the table’s central base in a circular fashion.

By turning the tabletop 90 degrees, counter clockwise, the crescent-shaped bars move the slices outward, leaving gaps into which leaves made of the same wood as the original table top can be inserted, instantly expanding the table’s seating capacity. The leaves can be removed by simply twisting the tabletop 90 degrees clockwise, and rejoining the eight pie slices to form a circle again.

The table is complete with its original leaves and extends from a smaller diameter of 66” to an expansive 92,” creating a beautiful dining table for eight.

One of only a handful known to exist, the table belongs center stage in any home.

The Table Expanded with Leaves

Lalique Perles Perfume Bottles, circa 1926. This set of three flacons by René Lalique displays the exquisite Perles pattern. Lalique remains one of the most popular designers and sculptors during the Art Deco period, and glass aficionados and amateur collectors alike the world over continue to marvel at the grace, magnificence and authenticity of his creations.

René Lalique’s work is universally admired around the world. We here at M S Rau Antiques and the new Musée Lalique in Alsace France, the first museum solely dedicated to René Lalique’s glass and crystal works, have some of the finest and rarest of his beautiful pieces.

René Lalique was a significant contributor to the Art Nouveau movement of the early 20th century, and is best known for his pioneering style of glass making which is elegantly demonstrated in the current example. This penchant for innovation and eye for style made Lalique one of the premiere craftsmen at the Paris Exhibition of 1925.

Over the course of his celebrated career, Lalique made perfume bottles, chandeliers, clocks and other items for various jewelry and design houses, and later showed a genius for using glass in interior architectural elements, most notably in the lighted walls and glass columns that graced the dining room and grand salon of the legendary French liner SS Normandie.  He also excelled in crafting fine jewelry for the actress Sarah Bernhardt. Later, near the final years of his life, he designed a series of automobile hood ornaments that are considered tiny masterpieces.

The Lalique pieces we have here in the gallery are Museum quality and are cornerstone pieces for any collection.  I would love to help with your collection, please call me!

“Rau is and has been one of my favorite haunts and places of purchase. My first purchase was in 1964 when I was in New Orleans with my parents for a vacation. We went to the race track and I won the daily double. My Father was horrified and mentioned to my Mother that he thought they had made a dreadful mistake taking me to the races. But, I showed them; with my winnings I took them out on the town for a wonderful evening, then with the rest of the money went to Rau and purchased a beautiful carnelian seal ring, which I still wear to this day. Last time I was in New Orleans, in May of ’08, I once again, returned to Rau. It was just as wonderful as I have remembered it. It is so comforting to realize there are still retailers in this world that are willing to keep up their great reputation and fine offering and service. Hope time and opportunity will allow me to return to New Orleans soon and will look forward to meeting and seeing you in person.”

Many thanks,

Jeffrey P. Angwin-

Bothell, Washington

They call to mind the era of gentlemanly disputes. The handsome ivory grips and precise engraving distinguish this pair of Belgian percussion pocket pistols from the city of Liège. Each pistol is crafted of beautifully engraved Damascus steel, including the pommel cap, and features a side hammer design with a pop-out trigger. When the hammer is pulled back, the trigger “pops” from the secreted underside of the pistol and retracts back into the gun upon firing, making it easy to carry and draw at a moments notice. The pistols are positioned in their original, velvet-lined quarter-sawn oak fitted case, which houses a powder flask, bullet mold and caps.

When I hold it in my hand, you can hardly even see I’m holding a gun. The “success” of this set is in its’ slyness! It’s a remarkable collection piece either as the cornerstone or spectacular addition to an already prominent firearms collection.

Pistol: 5 1/8” length
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 2” length

These weapons were later outlawed...

The War to End all Wars was truly one that settled little and created much heart ache lasting throughout the 20th century.  The hand to hand combat with bayonet charges were common practice, if not standard military protocol affording troops to routinely acquire war booty. At dawn on the morning of Easter Monday 1917 – 9 April – the Canadian attack comprised of four Infantry divisions began following a heavy three-week British artillery barrage and was supported by a well-devised creeping barrage. Viny Ridge was one of the more violent battles in 1917 and it did not come without cost.  However, 10,602 Canadians were wounded during the attack, and 3,598 killed.  The opposing German force suffered even more heavily with 20,000 casualties. Lieutenant Ernest Odell led his platoon into battle and after neutralizing the enemy, he collected the different and various battle bayonets, accompanied by the scabbards.

In 1918 following the War, Lt. Odell wrote a book on his wartime experiences and this battle in particular. Hunting the Hun, published in 1918 accompanies this spectacular and truly one of a kind collection.  This collection is impressive, even displaying several bayonets that were later outlawed by the Geneva Convention.  This is the center piece for any collection.

Read more about this collection here!

In 1762, the English Naval Armada captured Havana, holding Cuba for almost a year. It was ceded to Spain in exchange for Florida territory in the Treaty of Paris (1763). The English harvested a tremendous amount of mahogany from the island and from that point forward English furniture manufactured with mahogany was referred too as Cuban Mahogany – regardless if the woods harvest origin was another distant global locale.

The Jupes expansion table is one such item that fits into the Cuban Mahogany genre.  The table is an engineering marvel with its patented expansion mechanism – still working magnificently since its installation in 1830.  Closed, it seats 6 and opened, with its leaves inserted, it sits a group of 12 people.  One of the marvels of this circular table is that no one is left out of the conversation – it’s an all inclusive dinner party with this table.

This piece is remarkable. I never get tired of talking about it. It’s both an engineering and artistic masterpiece. If you come to the store, this is something you need to see. Ask for James, I’d be happy to show you how it works.