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Thistles, Nancy, c. 1900
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Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Enamel Soliflore w/ Dragonfly
Thistles, Nancy, c. 1900
$16,500
£12,530.34
€14,395
CA$23,261.11
A$24,731.37
CHF 13,373.98
MX$294,187.14
NOK 167,528.06
SEK 153,002.96
DKK 107,535.62
About the Item
Art Nouveau
Émile Gallé
Dragonfly and Thistles Soliflore (Bud Vase)
Multi-Color Enamel over Clear Art Glass
Nancy, France
Circa 1900
DIMENSIONS
Height: 3.25 inches
Max. Diameter: 2.75 inches
Opening Diameter: 0.75 inches
MARKINGS
Signed in enamel at the base, bearing the mark “E. Gallé de Nancy.”
MATERIALS
Multi-color enamel on clear art glass
CONDITION
Excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, or restorations.
ABOUT
“The aim of my work is the study of nature, the love of nature's art and the need to express what one feels in one's heart.” – Emile Gallé
A rare and exquisite cabinet-sized soliflore by Émile Gallé, exemplifying the highest artistic standards of early French Art Nouveau. The vase displays an exceptional and sculpturally sophisticated form—its body conceived as a sphere discreetly contained within a smaller cube—resulting in sensuously rounded, perfectly balanced contours that are both visually arresting and elegantly understated.
The clear glass body is decorated with finely rendered, hand-applied enamels depicting a dragonfly in flight among mountain grasses and thistles—a lyrical theme central to Gallé’s celebration of the natural world. The composition is executed with subtle tonal gradations and refined brushwork, capturing both the delicate movement and the ephemeral beauty of the scene.
A museum-quality example, notable for its rare form, poetic decoration, and intimate scale. A superb addition to any serious Art Nouveau or Gallé collection.
ABOUT ARTIST
Émile Gallé Gallé (French, 1846 – 1904)
Emile Galle was a French glass and ceramic designer who combined art and botany. Most of his glass vases are created in Art Nouveau style. Born on May 4, 1846 in Nancy, France, Émile Gallé seemed destined for a career in glassmaking. Nancy was well-established for its glass artistry, and his father, Charles Gallé was an established faïence (ceramic) and glassmaker with his own successful manufactory, the Maison Gallé-Reinemer. It would be here under the guidance of his father that the young Emile began to learn the art of glassmaking while simultaneously indulging his academic interests in philosophy, botany and chemistry. In 1867, Gallé joined his father working full-time at the Maison.
Gallé's glasswork, even at its earliest stages, was heavily influenced by nature, with his very first pieces incorporating enameled floral motifs painted upon clear glass. He was an avid botanist his entire life, collecting plants, flowers, and insects from which to study and draw inspiration. He was even elected Secretary-General for Nancy's Société centrale d'horticulture.
Gallé traveled throughout Europe studying works at museums and private institutions, gaining insight from ancient glass antiquities to Japonesque masterpieces, and everything in between. It would be Gallé’s trip to the British Museum in 1871 that would alter the course of his art career. Enamored by the famed ancient Roman cameo glass artifact known as the Portland Vase, the intrepid artist began experimenting with cameo glass upon his return to Nancy.
His melding of ancient tropes with modern technology led to the evolution of Gallé’s most incredible and distinguishable oeuvre. Color was a dominant force in all his designs. Galle’s method of layering various colors of glass and exposing the base layers via precise acid etching gave birth to some of the French glass master’s most memorable creations. Layering metallic foils between the colored glass prompted the discovery of exceptional highlighting effects that breathed life into Gallé’s naturalistic motifs, and the incorporation of air bubbles into the molten glass added a textural element never before seen in the medium. He even continued in his experimentations with enamel, mixing it with metal oxides to create absolutely breathtaking, glistening effects that were revealed only in the final firing.
Taking all of his revelations into account, Gallé had the ability to create the most picturesque landscapes and give life to any flora or fauna known to man within his majestic glass art. His showing at the 1878 Exhibition Universelle and a decade later at the 1889 Exhibition catapulted Gallé to international fame. His organic, flowing patterns captivated the global audience and effectively gave relevance to the burgeoning Art Nouveau movement.
Along with Louis Majorelle, Auguste and Antonin Daum and other pioneers in Art Nouveau, Gallé founded the ç to expand the scope of the Art Nouveau movement. The institution had the goal of blending artistry with industry from all areas of decorative arts and making arts, or art deco, more accessible for people from all walks of life, not just the elite. Gallé served as the first president of the school until his death in 1904.
Here is a brief timeline of Emile Gallé’s life as it relates to art glass and his achievements in the field.
Most people want to know why Gallé art glass is so much more valuable than almost all other art glass. The short answer is that it is valuable because it is always in high demand. Today we all know that glass can be a form of artistic expression. Back in the 1870s when Gallé got started there was virtually no glass being made just for the sake of art. The “art glass” that was being made was not especially interesting or inventive. Gallé introduced bold colors and subject matters and combined them to make expressive and telling objects of art.
1846 – Émile Gallé mile Gallé is born
1867 – Émile Gallé mile Gallé e starts working for his father’s faience and glass factory
1873 – Gallé started his own glass studio
1877 – Gallé took over his father’s studio
1878 – Gallé won the Grand Prix at the Paris Exhibition
1889 – Gallé displays his glass designs at The Paris International Exposition
1894 – Gallé’s first full production glass factory was established in Nancy, France
1900 – Gallé wins two top awards at The International Exhibition in Paris
1904 – Émile Gallé mile Gallé passes away from Leukemia at 58 years old.
1905 – Émile Gallé Gallé’s wife continues to make art glass but these works are marked with a star after
1908 – Gallé book “Écrits pour l'art” 1884–89 ("Writings on Art 1884–89") is published posthumously.
1919 – Émile Gallé Gallé’s son-in-law, Paul Perdizet, continues glass making under the Gallé name
1936 – All authentic productions of Gallé art glass were discontinued.
- Dimensions:Height: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)Diameter: 2.75 in (6.99 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1900-1909
- Date of Manufacture:ca. 1900
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. We make our best effort to provide a fair and descriptive condition report. Please examine photos attentively, as they are part of the description. Send us a message to request more details or discuss price.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2819347650522
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