PIERRE THEREMIN

Biography and Early Years

BIOGRAPHY

Pierre Theremin was the younger of the Theremin brothers, originating from a Franco-Protestant family in Prussia. His professional formation took place within the circle of his elder brother François Claude Theremin (1746 - 1808), associated with the Berlin, London and Parisian traditions of goldsmithing and guilloché enamel. In 1793 Pierre arrived in St Petersburg and entered the Foreign Guild of jewellers. In 1794 he married Marianne Jacqueline Renée Duval, sister of the court jeweller Jacob David Duval, which strengthened his position at court. In 1800 - 1801 he served as alderman of the Foreign Guild.

CAREER MILESTONES

1793 - 1796: Beginning of the St Petersburg period, first court purchases of snuff boxes; Cabinet accounts record precise enamel colour terminology (bleu, azur, crisopar). At the same time he produced presentation and ceremonial objects, including gold swords and sabres inscribed “For Bravery”, mounts for aventurine and feldspar buttons, and icon oklads.

1797 - 1802: Intensive work for the Chapter of Russian Orders. Archival documents record the manufacture of order chains and badges, crosses of various orders, and series of presentation edged weapons with enamel order plaques. During this period he also continued palace and state commissions, including standards and court furnishings.

1798 - 1801: Participation in major ceremonial commissions and regalia, including funeral crowns for state ceremonies, among them the crowns made for the burial of King Stanisław August Poniatowski of Poland, as well as funeral crowns for Emperor Paul I. He also executed the gold settings and reliquaries for the Maltese relics transferred to Russia under Paul I.

1799 - 1800: Major commissions connected with the dowries of Grand Duchesses Alexandra and Elena, including Gospel bindings, crosses, a chalice and Eucharistic vessels, and icon oklads of the Apostle Paul.

Around 1802: According to researchers, the master left Russia permanently and moved to Geneva.

STYLE, TECHNIQUE AND ARTISTIC VISION

Theremin’s St Petersburg works belong to Late Neoclassicism and the early Empire in their compositional and ornamental language. His principal specialisation was guilloché enamel: finely engine-turned gold grounds covered with multiple layers of translucent coloured enamel, creating depth and luminosity. The most characteristic colours, documented in accounts and surviving objects, are deep blue (bleu), light azure with a lilac nuance (azur), and pale chrysoprase-like turquoise green (crisopar).

Snuff boxes are typically octagonal or rectangular in form, with geometric borders including the Greek key, garlands and engraved frames, often incorporating painted enamel miniatures with architectural or genre subjects. In several cases later inserts dating from the 1820s - 1830s are recorded, suggesting later replacements or modifications.

Marks include the joint stamp FT (Frères Theremin), as well as individual marks PT and FKT. Some pieces bear engraved inscriptions indicating manufacture in St Petersburg.

LEGACY AND MASTERPIECES

Among the benchmark works attributed to Pierre Theremin are:

Snuff box, St Petersburg, 1799, master Pierre Theremin. Gold, glass, porcelain; chasing, enamel, engraving, guilloché. The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.

Snuff box, St Petersburg, 1800, master Pierre Theremin. Gold; chasing, enamel, guilloché. The State Hermitage Museum, StPetersburg.

Snuff box with the diamond monogram of Emperor Alexander I, St Petersburg, circa 1801, workshop of the Theremin brothers. Gold, diamonds; chasing, enamel, guilloché. Fabergé Museum, St Petersburg, Link of Times Foundation collection.

Theremin’s legacy extends beyond luxury galanterie objects to major state commissions, including funeral crowns and the gold settings for the Maltese relics, distinguished by the austerity of mature Neoclassicism, extensive polished gold surfaces and the use of the white-enamelled Maltese cross.

PRICE HISTORY

For Pierre Theremin the market is episodic due to the rarity of works and their predominantly museum status. Reliable and comparable price data require verification through public auction results and provenance research; without such verification only the general structure of demand can be outlined.

Masterpieces: Works with documented court provenance, museum history and exceptional enamel preservation. Collector interest is determined by rarity, attribution and artistic quality. Price range: €100,000 - 500,000.

Workshop / Circle of: Pieces bearing the FT or PT marks and typologically close to the St Petersburg period, including snuff boxes in the characteristic bleu, azur and crisopar palette, subject to convincing attribution and expert examination of later alterations. Price range: €30,000 - 100,000.

Followers / School of: Snuff boxes and galanterie objects of the St Petersburg guilloché enamel tradition of the late 18th - early 19th century without direct attribution to the Theremin brothers but close in technique and composition. Price range: €10,000 - 30,000.