Gallé

Emile Gallè is considered the master glassmaker most important in the history of glass, one of the greatest masters of Art Nouveau. The techniques applied in its ateliers are numerous and complex. In the first period, between 1874-1884, also known as the "transparent" period, mostly ornamental and historical subjects painted with enamel in the Arabic and Persian manner were produced; together with glossy glazes and opaque glass decorated with enamels, they had light effects similar the windows. From 1884 the "opaque" glasses were introduced, as also new working techniques: craquellée, fumée, métallisée, oxidée, soufflee de Bulles (simulating water droplets), mouchetés, marbres (imitating marble, agate and other semi-precious hard stones), inclusions of sheet metal (gold, silver, platinum ).

Gallè is also known as the inventor of new techniques , such as that of cameo glass: worked glass layers etched in the laboratory to obtain the decoration in layers of different colours. Even if the most important and original technical innovation, is the marquetry, which made Emile Gallè definitely famous . It’s similar to the inlay work in woodworking . Since 1890 Gallé begins the so-called chemical processing producing "industrial glass," pieces with still high artistic value , in order to create an art accessible to everyone. Some of his collaborators of excellence were Victor Prouvé, Louis Hestaux, Emile Munier, Paul Nicolas. He presented his works in Chicago, Brussels, Stockholm, Dresden, London, and many other countries. Even before his death in 1904, he continued producing fine pieces, with a vague note of melancholy due to his illness as it can be seen in the Vases de Tristesse, sad and dark it reflect the mood of the master.