Rene Lalique Art Nouveau jewellery
A gold sylph spreads her plique-ajour enamel and diamond wings to fill the dog collar plaque. The gold veins of the wings and the crustaceous tail covered with a thin layer of transparent green enamel. The ethereal being seems made out of air and light. Rene Lalique Art Nouveau jewellery
Rene Lalique Art Nouveau jewellery
French jeweler and glass-maker, Rene Jules Lalique (1860 – 1945) is one of the outstanding representatives of Art Nouveau. Lalique was a revolutionary in jeweler’s art in every sense of the word. Pushing aside gold and diamonds, he experimented with amber, enamel, metal alloys, glass, favorite semi-precious stones, horn and tortoiseshell. And – the most interesting – the public madly in love with his ornaments. The images and figures appeared out of the very thick fog of Nouveau: dragonflies and scarabs, peacocks and ears of wheat, thin silhouettes of women: in some of them is possible to recognize the features of Rene Lalique muse Augustine-Alice Ledru, whose father and brother used to assist Roden. Lalique always followed the rule of three French “F” – Femme, Fauna, Flora, which still remains the motto of the house.
Gold, enamel, diamonds; 1898-1900. Rene Lalique Art Nouveau jewellery. The dog collar plaque shows two revelers playing their pipes in a diamond woods. The design reveals the Japanese influence on Lalique’s jewelry; it has no perspective point, the composition is flat, and the subjects are cropped on all sides
In 1889 Lalique designed the singing bird brooch for Vever. Almost fully three-dimensional, the animated diamond birds with ruby eyes perch on a rose branch with leaves, flowers, and a butterfly
At his thirty-seven years, Rene Lalique – Commander of the Order of Legion of Honor. Made by him jewelry was bought by museums, collectors, and Empress – wholesale, directly at the exhibition. Emile Galle, colleague and eternal rival, bursts into a newspaper article, which called Lalique “founder of modern jewelry art” (the very Galle, with whom Lalique shared Grand Prix at the World Exhibition of 1900).
Rene Lalique Art Nouveau jewellery
Thistle collar plague. Thistle pattern in enamel. Its spiky stem is inspired by Lalique, which is diamonds.
With the arrival of the XX century, Lalique changed the direction – now he is interested in glass, from which he makes sculptures, dishes, perfume bottles and mascots for vehicles, lamps, vases and even furniture. His son Mark, after his father’s death refocused the family production on crystal. Hermitage storerooms in St. Petersburg keep a lot of the work of Rene Lalique: they were bought at one time by the whole Russian aristocracy headed by the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
Unusual colored glass and glass coated with a patina (enamel color) – the hallmark of Lalique pieces. Recipe of the famous Lalique opalescent glass is still the “trade secret.” In his later years, Rene Lalique was busy with “large forms” – designing hotels, churches, restaurants. Light panels, chandeliers, door panels, pillars, serving items, tableware, interior decorations, fountains, and many other things were produced by the firm in 1930th-40th. Rene Jules Lalique was born on 6 April 1860, Ay, Marne, died 5 May 1945, Paris. He started a glassware firm, named after himself, which still remains successful. After the death of Rene Lalique, his firm passed to his son – Marc Lalique, and then granddaughter, Marie-Claude.
Favorite Peacock theme
Pansy brooch – a mixture of seemingly incompatible materials in jewelry – diamonds and glass
Pearl bracelet. Gold, enamel, glass, pearls; 1899
Mythical creature brooch
Butterfly Woman brooch/pin
“Pine cone branches.” Silver, enamel, carved stone. 1898-1900
White swans brooch
Insect brooch
Blue thistle and poppies pendant
Fabulous pin pendant. Gold, pearl, enamel
Rene Lalique Art Nouveau jewellery
Romantic pendant
Diamond and gold pendant
Lalique jewelry
Lady in a hat pendant, gold enamel
Winter theme pendant
Thistle theme pendant
Nature inspired jewellery
Peacock buckle
Floral motif brooch. Pearl, gold, enamel
Buckle
Mythological brooch
Gorgeous Winter pendant
Tiara made of gold, pearls, enamel
A pair of matching earrings
Dragonfly woman corsage ornament (1897–1898)
Swan brooch
Flower brooch
Gold, enamel, chrysoprases; 1900
Fabulous peacock booch. Gold, enamel, moonstones; 1897-1898
Swallow Hairpin
Kiss brooch
Narcissus necklace. Gold, enamel, glass; 1899-1900
Orchid brooch
Peacock brooch
Peacock brooch (left) and bracelet
Antique Pendant
Swallow Brooch
Lalique jewellery
Born on 6 April 1860, Ay, Marne, Rene Lalique. Died 5 May 1945, Paris
A pair of earrings with opal and enamel in the original case. 1900-1905
A pendant made of gold with enamel. Around 1900
Bat brooch
Collar of gold with enamel and diamonds ‘Hawthorn’. 1902-1904. Abundant use of diamonds is not typical for other works of this master
‘Collar’ of pearls with enamel, opal and diamonds. 1900. Put into fashion by Princess Alexandra, the collars remained popular until the outbreak of the First World War
Gold bracelet with glass paste and enamel. 1900-1905. Intaglio from glass paste with Ceres images, transparent green enamel with gold fibers
1906-1908 Gold collar, enamel and diamonds. The lattice decorated with tiny diamonds. Enamel wisteria with a transparent green stalk, pale blue and purple flowers of transparent enamel
Tiara with diamonds and black pearls by René Lalique. About 1900
Circa 1900. Gold buckle with diamonds, opals and enamel
Red poppy necklace
