Gallé Lamps - Hardcover

Duncan, Alastair; Bartha, Georges De

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1851496718 ISBN 13: 9781851496716

Publisher: ACC Art Books, 2013

Synopsis

Although renowned for his work as a verrier, lamps did not form a significant part of Gallé's repertoire in glass until immediately prior to 1900. Indeed, only in the last few years of his life does it appear that he realised the full aesthetic potential of opalescent glass viewed by transmitted light.

In an Art Nouveau context, Gallé's creations reached their apogee between 1900 and his death in 1904, a brief period during which he adapted the shape of much of his glassware to its theme. Vases decorated with lilies became lily-shaped in a marriage of form and function. Fully-ripened gourds pendent on their vines glowed from within at the touch of a switch. Mushroom lamps brought the concept to full embodiment in the metamorphosis of the giant fungi into light fixtures.

This comprehensive volume catalogues the full range of light fixtures produced by the Gallé cristallerie, from those made during his lifetime to those manufactured for more than twenty-five years after his death. Including table, bedside, hanging and wall models, Gallé Lamps reveals the extraordinary variety of thematic shade-and-base combinations introduced by the firm: butterflies, moths, dragonflies, swallows and eagles hover, flutter, glide or swoop over flora and mountain vistas in a seemingly endless interplay of Nature's decorative motifs.

This volume is a companion to Gallé Furniture ISBN 9781851496624.

"It amazes me that such a high standard can be maintained for what is, given that quality, a modest price. Galle Furniture will appeal to libraries covering furniture, design and cultural studies" Reference Reviews

About this title

About the Author

Alastair Duncan is an international consultant on 19th- and 20th-century decorative arts and was, for fourteen years, a specialist and consultant on the subject for Christie's, New York. He is the author of numerous books on Art Nouveau and Art Deco, among them Art Nouveau Furniture, American Art Deco and Tiffany at Auction. He has also been a contributor to magazines including Vogue, Connoisseur and House & Garden. Born in South Africa, he is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and lives in New York City. This is his 34th book. Georges de Bartha is an independent art dealer and consultant, based in Geneva. He was previously, for over 20 years, an expert of 20th-century decorative arts at various international auction houses, holding sales in Geneva, New York and Tokyo. He is the author of L'Art 1900 and co-author with Alastair Duncan of Glass by Gallé and Art Nouveau and Art Deco Bookbindings: French Masterpieces 1880-1940.

Edition details

• Publisher: ACC Art Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1851496718
• ISBN 13: 9781851496716
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240