René Lalique | 2 “Charmes” Frosted Glass Wall Lights | France c.1930

René Jules Lalique (1860–1945)

• Lalique was a jeweler and glass designer, and a leading figure of the Art Nouveau movement.

• Born in the Marne region of France, Lalique trained as a goldsmith, and later attended the School of Decorative Arts, Paris, and the Crystal Palace School of Art in London.

• In 1885, he established his own company in Paris, and began making jewelry and other glass objects.

• In 1910, he established a glass factory in Combs-la-Ville, France, and, in 1918, he purchased a larger factory at Wingen-sur-Moder.

• An order for perfume bottles led to the development of his signature style, characterized by iced surfaces, elaborate or partially realistic patterns in relief, and occasionally applied or inlaid color.

• His new designs were shown at the Paris International Exhibition in 1925.

• Today, his work is part of the collections of major institutions around the world, including the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon, the Musée Lalique and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in France, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Corning Museum in New York, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.