Emile Galle

Emile Galle was born with Nancy the May 4th 1846. He died in the same city the September 23rd 1904. Child of the Art and the Trade, it is one of the most outstanding figures of the Applied arts to his time and one of the pioneers of the Art nouveau. With the door of his workshop of Nancy one could read this very beautiful currency “Our roots are at the bottom of wood, among foams, between the sources. ”

Its youth

His/her father, Charles Galle (1818 - 1902), is already of a not very common scale. Artist painter, it controls the delicate art of the enamel but, after its marriage with Fanny Reinemer exit of a family of traders in Faïence S and crystals, it launches the family company in a clean production and meets success there. It is in this eclectic environment that Emile will receive an at the same time attentive and daring education.

After secondary studies in Nancy crowned of the Baccalaureat, it 1865 will learn the German in with Weimar and continues there studies of Minéralogie. It is then the Apprentissage trades of the glass and Céramique with Meisenthal. Its approach is not simply theoretical and Emile does not fear to initiate himself with the Soufflage. He associates with that of good knowledge in cabinet work and especially family passion for the Natural science and more particularly for the plants which brings it to the Dessin.

Emile Galle carries out a simple life, even austere. He carries out studies on the plants, the animals, the insects. Some times, it second his/her father. The evening, it reads collections of Poésie. This influence will be notable especially towards 1882, when it assimilates the various experiments of its youth. From 1884 to 1889, it crystallizes its ideas in its book " Writings for Art".

Galle is less known for his social engagement, in particular with his friend Georges Monnier. Humanistic convinced, it is one of the founders of the popular University of Nancy and becomes treasurer of the French League for the Human rights. He condemns the Armenian genocide publicly, defends the Jews of Romania and, in spite of the commercial risks, is the first to defend Alfred Dreyfus publicly.

Its voyages

Of 1862 with 1866: It is in Germany, in particular with Weimar.

1866: it is with Meisenthal, in the valley of the the Saar, where it works in the glassmakings of Burgun, Schwerer & Co. It is here that it develops its knowledge on the chemistry of glass.

1870: It is again with Saint-Clement where, with Victor Prouvé, it composes a service of rustic crockery before voluntarily engaging it like soldier in the war.

1871: It is with London where it works with the museum of Kensington and with the botanical garden.

The stay in Paris

It studies there the art of the old crystals, enamels of mass of the lamps Arab of Philippe-Joseph Brocard, the vases of glasses to the rich person matters, quasi-Chinese or the Japanese Art of Eugene Rousseau, period of the Japonisme.

It goes back to Nancy, having new ways of exploration of the technique of glass and it gets busy to imitate nature with scratches, nodes, glares, reflections, shades, marblings.

It superimposes the layers of matters and interposes money and gold sheets there. It causes bullages and stripes.

Its professional path

1875 : He marries Henriette Grimm.
1877, it takes again the activities developed by his/her father.

He settles with Garenne. Baited worker, it develops the business.

1878 : He takes part in the World Fair. Its fame extends to the whole world: it obtains four gold medals.
1883, it builds vast workshops:

of Faïence laugh,
of glassmakings
of cabinetmaker laugh.

He reserves for it a part in the center or he works out his projects. Many artists, craftsmen work for him:

Towards 1889, they are approximately three hundreds. It prohibits his collaborators from reproducing a flower without having the model under the eyes of it.

It opens several counters:

in 1885 with Paris
in 1897 with Frankfurt
then with London.

Regularly, it exposes its works:

1884: It exposes to Paris Pierre, Wood, the Earth, Glass obtains a gold medal.

1889: It receives the Grand Prix of the World Fair. It is made officer of the Légion of honor.

1893: It takes part in the World Fair of Chicago.

1894: It takes part in the exposure of decorative art of Nancy.

1897: It takes part in the exposure of Munich or it receives a gold medal

1900: Crowning of its career: 2 Grands Prix, a gold medal. It is named commander of the Legion of honor and on May 19th, it is allowed with the Academy Stanislas of Nancy. It carries out a speech of reception there on the decoration Symbolist.

1901: It takes part in the exposure of Dresden.

It creates the École of Nancy in 1901 with Victor Prouvé, Louis Majorelle, Antonin Daum and Eugene Vallin, alliance of which he is the president.

1902: It takes part in the Exposition of Decorative Arts of Turin. Covered of honors and glory, he becomes member of the company of the Art schools of Paris and several learned societies.

1904: The September 23rd at the 58 years age, it dies of a Leucémie.

Technique

It is extremely improperly that one speaks about work glassmaker of Emile Galle under the name of molten glass .

The molten glass indicates a technique consisting in furnishing a mould with crushed coloured glasses and bringing the whole to a temperature close to the melting point to weld the grains. One unmoulds then.

The molten glass is a bulleuse matter, according to the granulometry of glass used, which takes with the light an aspect waxy, chechmate, transluscide or pumiceous, as delicate works of Charles Cros or Argy Rousseau show it.

If Galle knew this technique, the essence of its production was puffed up, not out of glass but out of crystal, i.e. with lead salt addition. To the initial crystal parison, Galle added new layers coloured of metallic oxides, inclusions, before blowing the crystal part, working it over again new inclusions, of brackets, money or gold sheet.

With cooling, the differences in dilation of these layers were the cause of very frequent accidents, the opening of the furnaces revealing an impressive breakage, which made the scarcity of the successful parts.

Exits of the market of crystal manufacture, the parts were then worked over again by engraving, with the wheel for most invaluable, the hydrofluoric Acid for most current. One released thus a decoration in cameo, generally floral, meets happy chances of blowing and knowledge to make taillandiers.

Each part carried the signature of Galle, with alternatives which give place to catalog. After the death of Galle, in 1904, the glassmakings continued to produce until 1914. Its signature is then accompanied by a star, that not very scrupulous antique dealers do not hesitate to make grind. In fact, this star accompanied the signature in the glassmakings only until 1908; after this year, to be considered morbid by the valuers of this art, it was abolished.

See too

List of famous cabinetmakers
List of pieces of furniture and objets d'art

External bonds

the world of arts: EMILE GALLE
the site created by the pupils of the college Emile Galle - Nancy-Metz Academy - France

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