Art Basel Meets the Panthère: Cartier’s Immersive World Unveiled

In Miami’s Design District, Cartier presents Into the Wild, an ambitious immersive installation that invites visitors to step inside the Maison’s long-held fascination with the panther. First emerging in 1914 as a constellation of onyx and diamonds on a timepiece, the creature would later be electrified by Jeanne Toussaint, the formidable tastemaker whom Louis Cartier appointed Creative Director in 1933. Her vision endowed the panther with a new cultural potency, a presence that continues to shape the Panthère de Cartier universe.

Conceived as a multi-sensory pilgrimage, Into the Wild unfolds across five atmospherically distinct rooms. Archival works from the Cartier Collection appear in dialogue with contemporary pieces, narrative displays, and an art installation created expressly for the occasion. The guided circuit offers an intimate reading of Toussaint’s influence and the evolution of the panther over more than a century.

A Century of the Panthère

The exhibition opens with an exploration of the panther’s shifting identities within the Maison, tracing emblematic moments from its earliest appearances. A 1917 cigarette case marks one such milestone. At the heart of the room, a High Jewelry brooch casts the panther not merely as motif but as a sculptural force, announcing the journey ahead.

Jeanne Toussaint, A Vision in Paris

The next gallery turns to Jeanne Toussaint (1887–1976), whose aesthetic intuition helped define a new language of luxury. Encountered by Louis Cartier in the early 1910s, she was initially invited to design accessories and swiftly rose through the Maison to become Creative Director. Her appointment was groundbreaking for the industry and established the refined, modern sensibility later celebrated as the “Toussaint Taste.”

During the 1940s, Toussaint introduced the commanding, three-dimensional panther forms that endure today. Under her leadership, Cartier’s menagerie expanded in richness and ambition. On display are rare works from this era—including a cabochon emerald bird brooch from 1944 and a yellow diamond tiger bracelet from 1967—presented alongside contemporary creations that echo her unmistakable eye.

Reimagining a Feline Icon

Further within the exhibition, visitors encounter the panther interpreted through the Maison’s various métiers: rendered with lifelike verisimilitude, distilled into graphic line, or abstracted into pure form. Historical pieces share space with recent jewels and watches, revealing how each generation renews the panther’s aesthetic power.

Savoir-faire in Motion

The narrative then shifts from imagery to craft. Four ateliers are staged within the gallery, offering glimpses of the techniques that bring the panther to life: sculptural modelling, glyptics, fur setting, and the intricate practices of the Métiers d’Art. Nearby vitrines display Cartier creations that exemplify the virtuosity behind each method.

A Mythic Fauna, Crowned by the Panthère

The experience culminates in a lush reverie of the Maison’s wider animal world—a realm where real and imagined species coexist. This final chamber is enveloped in an installation by Clare Celeste, composed of towering hand-cut botanical forms. Visitors wander through this dreamlike landscape, discovering jewel-filled cases where the Panthère reigns at the center of Cartier’s enchanted fauna.

Into the Wild welcomes the public at 23 NE 41st Street, Miami, from 11:00 to 21:00, Friday, December 5 to Sunday, December 7, with complimentary timed admission available.