GALLÉ, Émile

French designer and craftsman, a pioneer in technical innovations in glass. He was a leading initiator of the Art Nouveau style in French glass art. The son of a successful faienceGLOSSARYTin-glazed European earthenware, particularly ware made in France, Germany, Spain, and Scandinavia. It developed in France in the early 16th century, was influenced by the technique and the designs of Italian maiolica, and is named for Faenza, Italy, which was famous for maiolica. It is distinguished from tin-glazed earthenware made in Italy, which is called "maiolica," and that made in the Netherlands and England, which is called "delftware." It has no connection to the ancient objects or material also named faience, which was developed in the Near East ca. 4500 BCE. and furniture producer, Gallé studied philosophy, botany, and drawing, later learning glassmaking at Meisenthal. After the Franco-German War (1870-71), he went to work in his father's factory at Nancy. He first made clear glass, lightly tinted and decorated with enamelGLOSSARYColoured glass in powder form and sometimes bound with oil, which is bonded to a metal surface or plaque by firing. and engravingGLOSSARYA print made from a metal plate that has had a design cut into it with a sharp point. Ink is smeared over the plate and then wiped off, the ink remaining in the etched lines being transferred when the plate is pressed very firmly onto a sheet of paper., and soon developed the use of deeply coloured, almost opaque glasses in heavy masses, often layered in several thicknesses and carved or etched to form plant motifs. His glass was a great success at the Paris Exhibition of 1878, and he became known as a spirited designer working in contemporary revival styles. Gallé's strikingly original work made a great impression when at the Paris Exposition of 1889. Over the next decade, his glass, reflecting the prevailing interest in Japanese art, became internationally known and imitated. It contributed largely to the free, asymmetric naturalismGLOSSARYGeneric term for scientific positions supported by natural insights. In fine arts and literature between approximately 1870 and 1900, Naturalism tried to reproduce the reality comprehended through sensory experience as realistically as possible, i.e. without idealising the object, but with scientific precision. In contrast to Realism, which was also based on the accurate description of natural occurrences, Naturalism concerns itself with the sensual dimensions of observation, whereby questions of morality and social criticism come to the fore. The spokesman for literary Naturalism was Emile Zola, who believed the artistic methods provided evidence of human existence. and symbolistic overtones of Art Nouveau. He employed wheel cutting, acid etching, casing (i.e., layers of various glass), and special effects such as metallic foils and air bubbles, calling his experiments marqueterie de verre (marquetry of glass).

At Nancy, Gallé led the revival of craftsmanship and the dissemination of crafted glass by mass production. His workshop employed nearly 300 associates by the late 19th century. He attracted numerous artisans, including the Art Nouveau glassmaker Eugène Rousseau (1827-1891). After Gallé's death, his glass enterprise continued production until 1913.

With Gallé as its creative force, a form of naturalism, predominantly floristic, was developed, later identified with The School at Nancy, established in 1901. His study of botany was the source for his natural designs, which represented leaves, ethereal flowers, vines, and fruits. His furniture designs, based on the RococoGLOSSARYA style of design, painting, and architecture dominating the 18th century, often considered the last stage of the Baroque. Developing in the Paris townhouses of the French aristocracy at the turn of the 18th century, Rococo was elegant and ornately decorative, its mood lighthearted and witty. Louis XV furniture, richly decorated with organic forms, is a typical product. Leading exponents of the Rococo sryle included the French painters Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) and Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), and the German architect Johann Balthasar Neumann (1687-1753). Rococo gave way to Neo-classicism. period, continued the French tradition.

He emphasized constructive points organically (e.g., corners of armoires finished in the shape of stalks or tree branches) and employed inlay and carving that were essentially floral in style. Perhaps his most characteristic concept was his meubles parlants (talking furniture), which incorporated in its decoration inlaid quotations from leading contemporary Symbolist authors such as Maurice Maeterlinck and Paul Verlaine. Both his glass and furniture were signed, sometimes most imaginatively.

He collaborated with many colleagues, most notably the Art Nouveau furniture designer Louis Majorelle.