Rene Jules Lalique was born in Ay, Marne, France on April 6,
1860, and died on May 5, 1945. Rene Lalique is buried in Le Pere
Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.
Lalique was a glass designer, renowned for his stunning creations of
perfume bottles, vases,
jewelry, chandeliers, clocks, and, in the
latter part of his life, car mascots (automobile
hood ornaments). The firm he founded is still active.
At the age of 16, he was an apprentice for the Parisian jeweler,
Louis Aucoc. Then from 1878-1880 he attended Sydenham Art College
in London, England. After returning to France, he worked for Aucoc,
Cartier, Boucheron and others.
In 1882 he became a "freelance designer" for many of the top jewelry
houses in Paris and four years later established his own jewelry
shop. By 1890, Lalique was recognized as one of France's foremost
Art Nouveau jewelry designers and created many innovative pieces
for Samuel Bing's new Paris shop, La Maison de l'Art Nouveau. He had
become one of the most famous in his field, his name also became
synonymous with creativity and quality.
In the 1920's he also became famous for works in the Art Deco style.
Among other things he was responsible for the walls of lighted glass
and the elegant glass columns which filled the dining room and grand
salon of the SS Normandie, which was the grandest ship of its time.
Recognized as one of the world's greatest glass makers and jewelry
designers of the art Nouveau and art Deco periods, Rene Lalique was
an imaginative and creative artist in all his work. Lalique's early
life was spent in many different types of artistic businesses, acting
as apprentice or assistant. This heavily influenced the designs he
used in his later life, including his emphasis on glass. He used the
most modern and innovative manufacturing techniques and equipment
available, allowing more than one glass piece to be made at a time
while still looking hand made, which meant his quality jewelry was
available to the general public.
Rene Lalique's early life was spent learning the methods of design and
art he would use in his later life. At the age of two his family moved
to a suburb of Paris due to his father's work, but traveled to Ay for
their summer holidays. These trips influenced Lalique's later naturalistic
glasswork. When he was twelve, he entered the College Turgot where he
started drawing and sketching. With the death of his father two years
later, Lalique began working as an apprentice to the goldsmith Louis
Aucoq in Paris, and attending evening classes at the Ecole des Arts
Decoratifs. He worked there for two years and then moved to London to
attend the Sydenham Art College for two years.
At the Sydenham Art College, his artistic skills for graphic design were
developed and improved, and his naturalistic approach to art was further
developed. When he returned from England, he worked as a freelance artist,
designing pieces of jewelry for French jewelers. Following this, he opened
a business in 1885, and designed and made his own jewelry and other glass
pieces for the rest of his life.
Many things had greatly influenced Rene Lalique's work, including the natural
environment, and the art Nouveau and art Deco periods. The summer holidays
Lalique spent at Ay, in France, and the time he spent at the Sydenham College
of Art in London, had a very heavy influence on Lalique's naturalistic work.
As a result, many of his jewelry pieces and vases showcase plants, flowers and
flowing lines.
On our site you can view some of the most beautiful pieces of art created by
Rene Lalique. I sincerely hope you enjoy your visit.
David Weinstein
