Émile Gallé
French artist and designer, 1846-1904
Émile Gallé's father owned a factory for glassware and a faience factory in Nancy. At the age of sixteen Gallé went to work for the family business as an assistant to his father, making floral designs and emblems for both faience and glass. After studying philosophy and natural sciences in Germany, Gallé worked as an apprentice at a glass factory in Meisenthal. In 1874 he took over the family business and soon expanded. He founded shops in Paris, Frankfurt and London and led the company to international success with his innovative designs. More than 300 employees worked for the company in 1889. Émile Gallé is considered to be the most important artist of French Art Nouveau in the applied arts.
Source: Wikipedia
French artist (1846-1904). Wonderful autograph letter signed (incomplete). ohne Ort. 8vo. 3 pp.
$ 14,200 / 12.500 €
(92000)
A rare and illustrated letter to Robert de Montesquiou containing five pen drawings of vases. The sheet begins with the end of a letter: „sortie du riche trésor de votre cœur sait si bien élever, par delà notre misérable atmosphère jusqu’à la région où la douleur ne sera plus“. There follows a postscript in which Gallé gratefully mentions a commission from Madame G. [Greffulhe?]: „le vase perdu par quelques Dames de Lorraine sera retrouvé par cette grande Dame de France. […] Qu’un vase élancé, s’orne de la fleur qui ne travaille, qui altièrement file à travers l’azur.
Cette œuvre sera consacrée par un de vos textes que j’attends“. He proposes and draws five vases decorated with lilies or other liliaceae, giving details on the dimensions and colors. Thus: „feuille de déroulant de Musacée taillée; fleurs de lis blanches sur fond cristal bleuté ou blanc verdacé, moussu“. And he concludes: „Il ne faut cependant point que notre liliacée prête, en la circonstance, à dérision, la vertu principale du jeune marié n’étant point la candeur absolue du lis. Peut-être donc la tournure héraldisante un peu est-elle à conseiller“. Rare..
French artist (1846-1904). Autograph letter signed. Nancy. 8vo. 1 p. In French.
$ 5,112 / 4.500 €
(95762/BN63556)
Beautiful letter to a close friend in reaction to the death of Henri d’Orléans, duc d’Aumale (1822-97). The recipient of this heartfelt letter must have been very close to Henri d'Orléans, and Gallé himself had apparently met the Duke a few days earlier in Chantilly, in the recipient's presence. The "interminable list" closed by the deceased is probably an allusion to the deadly fire at the Bazar de la Charité on 4 May 1897 that had killed 126 people, including Duchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria, the favourite niece of the Duc d'Aumale.
Before quoting psalm 71:12, Gallé finds a metaphor for the Duke's death taken from his practice as a glass artist: "A sublime end to a failing body, sustained only by the soul, a great loving soul, unexpectedly prey to a sudden shock; the vase has broken, like a crystal too beautiful, too elaborate, too emaciated". - The orginal letter in full: "Jour de deuils ! Le Duc d'Aumale vient-il clore cette interminable liste ? Je ne saurais douter de votre peine, et la mienne s'acérait de la vôtre. Il y a si peu de jours, vous avez mis ma main dans cette main auguste. Elle vient de prendre sa part des palmes si abondamment imposées. Sublime fin du corps défaillant, que seule soutenait l'âme, grande âme aimante, proie à l'improviste d'un choc subit ; le vase s'est rompu, comme se brise un trop beau cristal, trop élaboré, émacié trop. 'Cet affligé a crié, dit le psaume, et l'éternel l'a émanée en le délivrant de toutes ses détresses.' - Je savais bien en quittant Chantilly que je ne contemplerais plus l'azur pâle de ces yeux français". - On stationery with lithographed letterhead "Émile Gallé à Nancy"..