René Jules Lalique was born in 1860 and lived in a Paris suburb for the first years of his life. His summer trips to Ay gave him a love of nature and naturalistic forms. Aged just twelve, Lalique studied drawing at the College Turgot and went on to the Ecole des arts decoratifs. Later, London's Crystal Palace School of Art Sydenham honed his skills in graphic design and further developed his love for naturalistic forms in art.
Come the turn of the 20th century, back in France, Rene Lalique was creating Art Nouveau jewellery for French jewellers including Cartier and Bucheron. By 1900 he was the foremost designer of Art Nouveau pieces, synonymous with beauty and artistry. But the flowing lines of Art Nouveau were soon being replaced by the linear style of the 1910s and 20s. From a small studio he designed perfume bottles in glass for perfumeries including François Coty. In 1913 he worked from a factory in Combs-La-Ville in the south east of Paris. His work focused on the car mascots, perfume bottles, lights and small ornaments so much admired. His oeuvre turned to the Art Deco characteristics as that style took hold of France, Britain and other nations.
Tuesday's auction features around a dozen examples of Lalique production, from perfume bottles to figural forms and even a ceiling light. It is the quality of these artworks and the pleasure that can be derived from admiring their
attention to detail, as well as their tactile nature, that ensures the continued popularity of Lalique glass across the globe.
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