ARTISTS’ THINGS: 1929 René Lalique Gui Vase
In my STUDIO NOTES from November 2024 I mentioned Artists’ Things: Rediscovering Lost Property from 18th Century France, by Katie Scott and Hannah Williams. It’s a book that asks the question of what we might learn from examining an object that an artist owned. What does it tell us about the artist and what does it tell us about the object. I am going to add to ARTISTS OBJECTS with some of my own,
René Lalique 1929 Gui (Mistletoe) Vase belonging to my grandparents.
I grew up with this Lalique vase in the entryway to our home. It was one of several pieces that my Grandmother bought in Paris in June of 1929. I know this because my father told me. The time of the purchase seemed significant as it was only a few months before THE CRASH. Later I discovered a receipt, which seems to be about the delivery of several other Lalique items — an ashtray, a box, and a perfume bottle — to her room at Hotel Crillon. I believe this was part of a Grand Tour of Europe. I don’t know if my Grandfather was just showing my Grandmother Europe, or if he also had clients to visit there. He was an international business lawyer.
We received many items from their home when my Grandfather died. While they weren’t nearly as special as this vase, they were enormously entertaining for me and my siblings. I loved, for example, a large ledger with numbered pages, and many columns. There were many bank checks, which we practiced filling out for millions of dollars. And for some unknown reason, we had my Grandfather’s elementary school Latin homework, which I only got around to throwing out when I did a massive purge of my studio recently.
Everything about these items were from a by-gone era that I knew something of, but hadn’t experienced. One of the books I found was about the States. It was missing Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico!
My Grandmother died when my father was in college, and my Grandfather died when I was 8, so any stories about them came from other relatives. I was largely left to piece together a history out of the objects they left.
The receipt for the delivery of several Lalique items to my Grandmother at Hotel Crillon.
René Lalique became synonymous with French Art Nouveau decorative arts. Born in 1860, he first began designing fine jewelry in Paris in 1881. Lalique pursued increasingly more innovative experimentation in glass commencing around 1883. Early works used the familiar "lost wax" technique by which the model is made in wax while a mold is formed around the model. Then, the wax is melted and molten glass is poured into the mold. Lalique glass was made in this manner until approximately 1905 at which time the factory was redesigned for a larger production.
As such, the individual uniqueness of each example of Lalique glass came to an end with the end of the one-time only molding technique around wax models. The success of this venture resulted in the opening of his own glassworks at Combs-la-Ville in 1909. During the art nouveau period, Lalique was well known for a wide variety of objects including perfume bottles, vases, inkwells, decorative boxes, and bookends.
Lalique glass is lead based, either mold blown or pressed. Favored motifs during the Art Nouveau period were dancing nymphs, fish, dragonflies, and foliage. Characteristically the glass is crystal in combination with acid-etched relief. In addition to vases, clocks, automobile mascots, stemware, and bottles, many other useful objects were produced. While not well known, Lalique also experimented with bronze and other materials as well.
Lalique's legacy extends far beyond his artistic achievements. His commitment to quality, innovation, and craftsmanship has inspired generations of designers and artisans. By blending art and industry, Lalique transformed glassmaking into a fine art form, leaving an enduring mark on the world of design.
During his lifetime, René Lalique had several stores in Paris. One of the most notable was the shop he opened at 24, Place Vendôme in 1905. This is the one my Grandparents visited. This prestigious location allowed him to showcase not only his jewelry but also his innovative glass creations. The shop remained open until 1935, when Lalique moved to a new location at 11 Rue Royale.
All the Glitters, 30 inches x 43 inches, oil on canvas, © 2013 Leslie Parke
The Lalique vase does not particularly blend with my Bonnard Apartment interior. But I do love that it was bought in Paris in a time when Bonnard may have also been there.
The vase took on significance for me when I started painting it. For a time I sought anything that reflected light, that was transparent, or that glittered. The vase fit right in.
Shifting Still Life, 30 inches x 36 inches, oil on paper, © 2012 Leslie Parke