|
|
|
|
|
René Lalique, Jeweler of Nature
- November 2008
|
|
Projet de coiffure pour Théodora1 |
|
Projet de coiffure pour Théodora2 |
|
Bijou de Corsage a Chaine, or Émaillé et Gravé, et Améthyste3 |
| |
The astounding success of Parisian goldsmith
René Lalique was the result of a perfect storm of tragedienne,
a rave for all things Japanese, and a world's fair. Lalique's luscious jewelry
adorned the stage in Sarah Bernhardt's melodramatic roles of Théodora
and Gismonde in the mid 1890's. In Paris Samuel Bing's new house of decoration,
"La Maison de l'Art Nouveau," offered for sale both striking Lalique
creations and Japanese decorative works of intense simplicity. The Exposition
Universelle of 1900 displayed one of the most fantastic jewelry boutiques
ever seen - Lalique's jewelry designs deeply influenced by Japanese interpretations
of the natural world. It was the birth of Art Nouveau.
|
|
Click on an image for a larger view
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dessin de pendant4 |
Dessin de pendant5 |
Dessin de bague (développé)6
René Lalique was born in the countryside town of
Ay, France, in 1860. His study of botany and a natural talent for drawing
and painting deepened his interest in flowers and insects. Apprenticed
to goldsmiths Henri Vuillert and Louis Aucoc in Paris, Lalique eventually
studied jewelry design in London at the Sydenham School of Art and later
in Paris at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs.
|
|
His work as a freelance designer was displayed for sale
at various retailers. He established his own studio in 1895 and was finally
free to experiment with sculpture, glass, and horn. This same year he
exhibited his jewels under his own name at the Salon of the Société
des Artistes Français, the first year that decorative arts were
considered worthy of competition. It was the first display of Lalique's
famous "shock" tactic, and one incorporated in many of the jewels
in this exhibition: the nude female form.7
Devant de corsage8 |
|
"The Workshops and Residence of M. René Lalique"9
|
| Lalique's jewelry designs echoed the beauty of
the natural world. He incorporated gold flora and fauna with precious stones
and pearls. Using metal enameling techniques of cloisonné10
and plique à jour11 his creations reflected the
atmosphere and season. Opals became water, diamonds reflected the undersides
of leaves and insects were designed to roam hat and hair in large pins and
combs. Lalique's creations were a rejection of the traditional pearl-encrusted
bosoms of high society ladies. These new designs set their bearers free,
spoke of boldness and eroticism. Embracing the female nude form Lalique
created nymphs and sirens whose legs and arms entwined or spiraled against
the sea green enamel of a pendant or brooch. |
Bracelet12
Bracelet de manche13
Devant de collier14 |
Peigne15 |
Pendant et chaine16 |
|
"The Palaces of Decorative Arts, Entrance from the Rue de Grenelle,
showing the moat of the Invalides,"17 |
|
By 1900 Lalique's reputation was firmly established with his contributions
to the development of modern jewelry paving the way for other jewelry
artists like Georges Fouquet and Lucien Gaillard. The Exposition Universelle
proved a perfect venue for Lalique and other artists to exhibit in the
grand Palaces of Decorative Arts.
|
|
Lalique display at Exposition Universelle, 1900 |
|
Vivienne Becker describes Lalique's display at the Exposition Universelle
of 1900:
"Crowds flocked to see Lalique's work at the Exposition, to press
their noses to his shop window, to gaze in amusement at the fantasy creatures
and dream objects that were causing such a stir in Paris and all around
the world. His display at the Exposition was eerie, erotic and eye catching.
Black velvet bats swooped against a grey gauze, star-studded night sky.
Below this, a semi-circular grille was formed by five patinated bronzed
figures, each slightly different, each depicting a languorous nude female,
stretching in sultry sleepiness, linked to one another by the spreading
veins of feathered wings. Some jewels were pinned to the gauze stretched
between the bronzes, others were spread below on frosted glass resting on
white watered silk."18
|
| This exotic display gained Lalique international
fame and a flurry of orders. His showcase interior was unlike other displays
on "neighboring stands." Refusing to echo tonal or traditional
colors in decoration, Lalique had Georges Clairin paint the mural that decorated
the interior of the shop utilizing light and natural colors. |
| |
Sarah Bernhardt, 189119
|
|
It was Clairin who most likely introduced Lalique
to Sarah Bernhardt in the mid-1890's. Lalique then began designing spectacular
stage jewelry for Bernhardt, whose flair for the dramatic influenced his
creative design for years.
It is believed that Lalique's friendship with Bernhardt introduced him to
Calouste Gulbenkian, an art collector from Lisbon. Gulbenkian's enthusiasm
for Lalique's talents became the chance of a lifetime for the artist. Calouste
Gulbenkian's commissioning of 145 jeweled objects made him Lalique's major
patron from 1895 until about 1912. Free of financial concern and able to
design at will, Lalique entered the most creative period of his jewelry
career. Gulbenkian's
collection today is the biggest repository of Lalique's art. |
1Geffroy, Gustave. "De Bijou: A Propos de M.
René Lalique." Art et Décoration: Revue Mensuelle D'Art
Moderne. Vol. XVIII. July - December 1905. p 186.
2Ibid. p. 187.
3Ibid. p. 178-179.
4Marx, Roger. "René Lalique: Le Maitres Décorateurs
Français." Art et Décoration: Revue Mensuelle D'Art
Moderne. Vol. V. January - June 1899. p 20.
5Ibid. p. 20.
6Ibid. p. 20.
7Becker, Vivienne. The Jewellery of René Lalique.
Exh. Cat. London: A Goldsmiths' Company Exhibition, 1987. p.17.
8Marx. p. 13.
9Sargent, Irene. "The Workshops & Residence of M. René
Lalique." The Craftsman. Vol. IV, No. 1. April 1903.
10Cloisonné:[cell work] A metal (gold) enamel technique
where the surface is decorated by soldering, edge-on metal fillets of flattened
wire. These delicate cells are filled with coloured and powdered enamel,
fired and then ground flat with carborundum, exposing the gold pattern beneath.
Campbell, Gordon. The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts. 2 vols.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. p.353-354.
11Plique à jour: Enamel technique developed to display
fully the 'stained glass' potential of translucent enamel. Ibid.
12Marx. p. 16.
13Ibid. p. 17.
14Ibid. p. 21.
15Ibid. p. 14.
16Ibid. p. 15.
17Walton, W., A. Saglio and V. Champier. Chefs D'Oeuvre
of the Exposition Universelle. Philadelphia, PA: George Barrie &
Son, 1900. p. 24-25.
18Becker. p. 15-16.
19National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, [LC-DIG-npcc-31496] |
|
