Chic, charismatic and incredibly talented, the inimitable Jeanne Toussaint, was a driving force behind Cartier’s jewelry designs and the one who made the panther synonymous with the Maison. Born in Charleroi, Belgium in 1887 to a family of lace makers, Jeanne was exposed to fashion and fine craftsmanship at an early age, which set the stage for her future career.
Jeanne came from a challenging background, her family struggled to make ends meet and when her father died, her mother took a German lover, who abused Jeanne and her sister Charlotte. Both sisters left home as teenagers, with Jeanne, at the age of 15, landing in Brussels with the French Count Pierre de Quisonas, who was in Belgium to avoid military service in his home country. He eventually returned to Paris with Jeanne where he set up an apartment with her, hoping they would marry, but due to family objections the Count left Jeanne just as World War I was starting.
Jeanne Toussaint Meets Louis Cartier
Before the Count left, he introduced Jeanne to high society in the City of Light. Traveling in both artistic and aristocratic circles, among others she met the influential illustrator Georges Barbier, fashion designer Coco Chanel and the person who would define her career path: Louis Cartier. Jeanne became known for her chic style, wearing her signature panther fur coat when out and about; she was also witty and creative. Louis Cartier was enamored with Jeanne and with the Count out of the way, the two began a relationship. It started as a romantic liaison with the couple spending the years during much of World War I together, but in 1918, Louis broke up with Jeanne, bowing to family pressure due to her difficult background, however they continued a professional relationship, until his death in 1942.
A deep understanding of Jeanne’s talent, not only as a designer, but as a trendsetter with an innate fashion sense, led Louis to hire her first as an accessories designer in 1918, then as head of the handbag department and finally in 1933, she was promoted to head of jewelry. Quite a feat in a male dominated work force. Jeanne was also appointed to Louis’ Creations Committee, which was comprised of a sales person, and one representative each from the workshop and design departments. It was this group of four (plus Louis) that bounced around new ideas for the Maison. Traveling in elite social circles of the time gave Jeanne an idea of what women needed for a night out, which helped with the process of product development and design.
Louis married in 1924 and moved to Budapest with his wife, but he and Jeanne were in constant communication due to their work relationship. It was also during this time that Jeanne met Baron Pierre Hely d’Oissell, who became her long-time companion, eventually marrying in 1954.
The Little Panther
When Jeanne first began designing jewelry for Cartier, the Great Depression was in full swing, dampening the global economy, so she began with smaller pieces, including the renowned brooch of hands holding flowers. Introducing naturalist themes including birds and animals, Jeanne moved away from the strict geometry of Art Deco design and began working more in gold with semi-precious gemstones. Jeanne was friendly with many artists in Paris and she worked closely with jewelers Georges Remy, Lucien Lachassagne and Pierre LeMerchand to bring her creations to life.
Jeanne was integral in making the panther an iconic motif for Cartier, symbolizing female empowerment, elegance and independence. Reputed to be fiercely loyal and independent, Jeanne had a feline aura about her. She was known for her love of panthers, decorating her apartment with panther skins and other home décor featuring the big cat, leading Louis Cartier to nickname her “petite panthere”, or little panther.
The Jeweled Cartier Panthers
It was after World War II, that Jeanne’s talents as a jewelry designer were on full display. It was during the 1940s when Jeanne was able to create the big, glamourous, three-dimensional jewels that are so closely associated with her. Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was a client and a huge fan of Jeanne’s panther designs. The Duchess was the owner of some very important Cartier panthers including the diamond and sapphire brooch featuring a languid panther draped over a 150-carat cabochon sapphire. The high profile of the Duchess brought attention to the panthers leading them to become an icon of Cartier design. Jeanne also worked closely with the Duke of Windsor on the now famous flamingo brooch that he gifted his wife. She was also instrumental in reintroducing Cartier’s colorful and exotic Tutti-Frutti collection in the 1940s and 1950s.
Jeanne famously placed a brooch of a caged bird in the window at Cartier during the German occupation of Paris during World War II and was questioned by the Nazi’s. Allegedly, her friend Coco Chanel got her released from their custody. At the end of the German occupation, Jeanne changed the cage so that the door was open as a sign of liberation.
Louis Cartier died in 1942 and Jeanne continued on in her role as head of jewelry, remaining with Cartier until 1970. She was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor by the French government in 1955 for her lasting influence on women’s fashion. Today, Jeanne’s impact continues at the House of Cartier as the panther motif takes on different iterations for contemporary women of style.
Top of Page: Portrait of Jeanne Toussaint by César Helleu (1859-1927) circa 1913, Public Domain, courtesy Wikimedia.
Ruby, emerald, sapphire and 18-karat gold earrings, signed Cartier Paris, circa 1945; Jeanne Toussaint, by Adolf de Meyer, 1920, Public Domain, courtesy, Wikimedia; Diamond, emerald and 18-karat white gold panther ring, Cartier, circa 1980s.
Authored by Amber Michelle