Lalique
René Lalique, winner of a Grand Prix, (International Exposition in Brussels, Belgium), awarded the rosette of Legion d’Honneur, widely known as the “ultimate Art Nouveau jeweler” and “greatest artist-jeweler ever known” was born in France, on April 6th 1860. He was the only child of a merchant of novelty goods, and was known to begin showing an interest in artistry when he started painting flower miniatures on ivory plaques at the age of fifteen. After attending school in London following the death of his father in 1876, Lalique returned to Paris as the Art Nouveau period was just starting to gain traction.
23330 - Art Nouveau Lalique Platinum Gold Diamond Crystal Carved Woman Pin
The jewelry of this time was representative of the design philosophy of the age: “organic in form & exquisite in craft”. Lalique’s revolutionary design and craftsmanship made him one of the most celebrated Art Nouveau artists in the world. He brought the use of ivory, horn, enamel, and glass to jewelry, most of which are now used as a replacement for precious stones. He was considered bold, combining unusual gemstones with incredible carvings and natural motifs – a revolution of form and content. Some of his major sources of inspiration include Japanese art, Renaissance jewelry, medieval sculptures, and even Egyptian motifs. His most prominent muse, however, is Mother Nature herself. Some of his pieces were reportedly created by replicating pictures taken of his own property, Clairefontaine.
30931 - Art Nouveau Lalique Gold GIA Pearl Enamel Snake Drop Dangle Earrings
Other common themes present in his jewelry include the idea of “horrific creatures” – characteristic of the undercurrent of sadness and pessimism of the time – and women – which some would consider a given seeing as he fathered six children with several different women. One of his most iconic pieces, “Dragonfly Woman”, is a mixture of these two: a half-woman, half-dragonfly breast pin, set with gold, enamel, chrysoprase, moonstones and diamonds.
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon
The use of these gemstones was fairly typical in his work, whose softer tones contrasted with the Art Deco movement’s brighter colors. Despite this, Lalique was one of the few artists who successfully transitioned from Art Nouveau to Art Deco – and he did this though a rather radical change in career. By 1900, Lalique found that he had reached the pinnacle of his success in the jewelry field. With a desire to expand his artistic vision, he began using glass to create an array of decorative pieces. By the age of 50, he became a master glassmaker and gained worldwide fame with signature pieces, such as vases, clocks, and chandeliers. He also made perfume bottles for some of the most prestigious perfumeries and car hood ornaments for the most stylish cars of his day – Bentley, Suiza, and Bugatti. The hood ornaments were illuminated from within and came in the shapes of fish, birds, horse heads, frogs, dragonflies, and shooting stars.
"Spirit of the Wind", Black Hawk Museum
In 1925, the height of the Art Deco period, René Lalique was the most celebrated glassmaker in the world. Despite having only spent 20 years of his life in the jewelry business, Lalique left behind many impressive and famous pieces. Calouste Gulbenkian, known to have stated “only the best is good enough for me”, collected close to 80 of his pieces and after founding the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, dedicated an entire room to Lalique’s work. Emille Gallé, another great figure of the Art Nouveau movement, called him – by virtue of his amazing imagination and technical virtuosity. – the “inventor of modern bijoux”.
René Lalique, Circa 1925, Corning Museum of Glass
The Master Jewelers, 1990, Vivienne Becker
Modern Jeweler, November 2000, Lalique’s Legacy
Rapaport, May 2020, The Lalique Mystique