Gallé, Émile

Gallé, Émile

Vase with relief decoration by Émile Gallé, c. 1895; in the Victoria and …

(credit: Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

(born May 8, 1846, Nancy, Fr.—died Sept. 23, 1904, Nancy) French glass and furniture designer. From 1867 he worked in his father's faience and furniture factory in Nancy. His deeply coloured opaque pieces, layered and carved or etched with plant motifs, were a great success at the Paris Exhibitions of 1878 and 1889 and were widely imitated. He used wheel cutting, acid etching, casing, and such special effects as metallic foil and air bubbles to produce what he called “marquetry of glass.” His furniture designs featured floral inlay and carving; some incorporated inlaid quotations from well-known authors. A proponent of the Art Nouveau style, he collaborated with many colleagues, notably Louis Majorelle.