Gothic-revival silver, silver-gilt and lapis lazuli bracelet, Carlo Giuliano, 1874-1895

The style of this bracelet recalls the designs of Augustus Welby Pugin (1812-1852) considered as one of the foremost British architects of the 19th Century. Pugin developed a love of medieval Gothic architecture from his father, a French aristocrat, who took him on trips abroad. The elder Pugin, a draughtsman and artist who worked with John Nash, enlisted Augustus to aid in creating a series of detailed drawings of Gothic architecture and decoration. These studies, contained in such volumes as Specimens of Gothic Architecture helped generate a renewed interest in this medieval style thus launching the movement known as Victorian Gothic. In 1836, Augustus Pugin produced what is considered his master work, entitled  'Contrasts, A Parallel between the Noble Edifices of the 14th and 15th Centuries and Similar Buildings of the Present Day Showing a Decay of Taste' which resulted in a number of commissions. Pugin's legacy extended far beyond architecture into other aspects of Victorian life, influencing writers like John Ruskin and designers such as William Morris all of whom shared a similar philosophy.