The brand “Matisse Ltd.” is launched in 1952 by Jerry FELS, former student at the National Academy of Design in New York. In 1945, Jerry FELS, a Brooklyn, New York native, moved to California. Previously a fighter pilot in World War II, Fels had cultivated his design, painting, and sculpture talents at New York’s National Academy of Design. In 1946, a new jewelry style began to take the United States by storm, and Fels was at the forefront of it. Upon his arrival in the Los Angeles area, FELS and his brother-in-law Kurt Freiler teamed up to create “Renoir of Hollywood.” The two later changed the name to “Renoir of California,” then to “Hand Made Renoir of California,” before finally settling on “Renoir.” Renoir specialized in creating copper jewelry that incorporated bold geometric forms. Matisse (which later became part of the Renoir jewelry business) produces copper jewelry, decorated with colored enamels, which are characterized by modern taste and style and unmistakable workmanship. From the mid-1950s until 1960, Renoir also marketed a third jewelry line called “Sauteur Sterling Silver Jewelry.” The Sauteur pieces are much less common than the companies’ copper jewelry items. Finally, the companies faced constant problems with a popular (and troublesome) enamel design. High rejection levels led to massive losses, and finally, the two companies went bankrupt and closed in 1964.