“Art for art’s sake” was a belief strongly espoused by the celebrated French designer and glassworker Émile Gallé. Through his ethereal glass vases, other vessels and lamps, which he adorned with botanical and religious motifs, Gallé advanced the Art Nouveau ideology and led the modern renaissance of French glass.
Gallé was the son of successful faience and furniture maker Charles Gallé but studied philosophy and botany before coming to glassmaking later in life. The young Gallé’s expertise in botany, however, would inform his design style and become his signature for generations to come.
After learning the art of glassmaking, Gallé went to work at his father’s factory in Nancy. He initially created clear glass objects but later began to experiment with layering deeply colored glass.
While glassmakers on Murano had applied layers of glass and color on decorative objects before Gallé had, he was ever-venturesome in his northeastern France, taking advantage of defects that materialized during his processes and etching in natural forms like insects such as dragonflies, marine life, the sun, vines, fruits and flowers modeled from local specimens.
Gallé is also credited with reviving cameo glass, a glassware style that originated in Rome. He used cabochons, which were applied raised-glass decorations colored with metallic oxides and made to resemble rich jeweling. Gallé's cameo glass vases and vessels were widely popular at the Paris Exhibition of 1878, cementing his position as a talented designer and pioneer.
During the late 19th century, Gallé led breakthroughs in mass production and employed hundreds of artisans in his workshop.
Botany and nature remained great sources of inspiration for the artist's glassmaking — just as they had for other Art Nouveau designers. From approximately 1890 to 1910, the movement’s talented designers produced furniture, glass and architecture in the form of — or adorned with — gently intertwining trees, flowers and vines. But Gallé had many interests, such as Eastern art and ceramics. The Japanese collection he visited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (then the South Kensington Museum) during the 1870s had made an impression too.
Breaking free from the rigid Victorian traditions, Gallé infused new life and spirit into the art and design of his time through exquisitely crafted glass vessels and pioneering new glassworking techniques.
Find a collection of Émile Gallé vases and other furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
H 5.52 in W 2.76 in D 1.58 in
Emile Gallé French Art Nouveau Cameo Glass Vase
By Émile Gallé
Located in Antwerp, BE
Emille Galle (1846-1904). Émile Gallé was a French glass maker and furniture designer, who had his home in his native Nancy. His favourite topic, which he frequently used in his wor...
Glass
H 13.98 in Dm 6.54 in
French Art Nouveau Emile Galle 'Intaglio' Cameo Glass Vase
By Émile Gallé
Located in Worcester Park, GB
Rare and interesting early Emile Galle cameo vase, c14 inches tall, decorated with 1908 chrysanthemum series probably the "sur café au lait" version,...
Art Glass
H 7.68 in Dm 5.52 in
French Emile Galle Art Nouveau Cameo Glass Landscape Vase, circa 1910
By Émile Gallé, Louis Hestaux
Located in Worcester Park, GB
Impressive Art Nouveau Emile Galle Cameo landscape vase, 7 1/2 inches tall, in a variety browns and yellows with a hint of opal, signed in came...
Art Glass
H 11.9 in Dm 3 in
Emile Galle, Rare 'Chrysanthemes vase' c 1900, Etched Glass, Signed
By Émile Gallé
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is an early glass vase my the well known French artist Emile Galle, made in the late 19 and early 20th century most like it in Nancy, France. We found an other sample of this wo...
Art Glass
H 5.12 in Dm 2.76 in
Émile Gallé Miniature Cameo Vase, Art Nouveau, Ca 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Delft, NL
Émile Gallé miniature Cameo vase, Art Nouveau, ca 1900 Émile Gallé (Nancy, 1846 –1904) was a French glassmaker and furniture designer Émile Gallé 7...
Glass
H 3.15 in Dm 2.56 in
Emile Galle Art Nouveau Cameo Vase With Silver Mounting, Nancy, France 1904
By Émile Gallé
Located in Vienna, AT
Bulbous shoulder vase on a flush stand, short neck piece of colourless glass with white powder meltings, overlay in blue-violet and green, meadow flower decoration etched in various stages, matt etched inside and outside, Cameo signature 'Gallé' with star on the wall between the plants.. Mounted with later silver mouth in a smooth, slightly flared design, decorated on the outside with two sculptural branch and cone bundles. Silver mount hallmarked 'Minerve casquée' for 950 silver, France, and master's mark. Hand-made Cameo Glass: Glass overlaid with several layers, with high-cut worked out motifs. Since the middle of the 19th century, the design has also been done by etching. Cameo glass vessels were already being made in antiquity; at the end of the 19th century, Émile Gallé further developed this glass art, created Art Nouveau designs and employed a large factory in Nancy...
Glass
H 12.13 in Dm 4.14 in
Émile Gallé long neck Cameo vase, Art Nouveau, 1904-1906
By Émile Gallé
Located in Delft, NL
Émile Gallé long neck Cameo vase, Art Nouveau, 1904-1906 Émile Gallé (Nancy, 1846 –1904) was a French glassmaker and furniture designer Émile Gallé 30 cm high long neck Cameo vase m...
Glass
H 9.26 in W 10.24 in D 3.55 in
Large Round Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Cameo Vase with Seascape Decor, France 1905
By Émile Gallé
Located in Vienna, AT
Vase in the shape of a drum on an oval, short base, slightly tapering towards the top in depth, at the top as an opening an arcuate cutout with a slight beaded edge. Colorless glass ...
Glass
H 18.12 in Dm 7.88 in
Large Emile Galle Art Nouveau Cameo Vase With Daffodil Decor, France, Ca 1904
By Émile Gallé
Located in Vienna, AT
Baluster-shaped vase body on a slightly flared, flush base with a bulbous, upwardly widening wall, on gently sloping shoulders a constriction to form a short neck piece with a slight...
Glass
H 8.08 in W 6.7 in D 3.75 in
Emile Galle Round Art Nouveau Cameo Handle Vase With Hydrangea Decor France 1905
By Émile Gallé
Located in Vienna, AT
Vase in upright drum shape on an oval, flush stand, short neck piece raised at the top centre with slightly flared, raised rim, two handles fused onto the sides of the outer rim and ...
Glass
Large Wine Color Cameo Glass Vase Signed Richard
By Loetz Glass
Located in Norwood, NJ
Large pink and burgundy cameo glass vase signed Richard. Beautiful Art Nouveau large Cameo made by the Loetz factory glass vase Signed Richard. Beautiful a...
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Barovier & Toso Glass Lamp With Original Paper Label
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Norwood, NJ
A midcentury Murano Venetian glass lamp by Barovier & Toso. Clear hand blown glass with real gold leaf inclusions. Original paper label. 15" to...
Blown Glass, Art Glass
Art Deco Silver Overlay Art Glass Vase
Located in Norwood, NJ
Art Deco mottled purple art glass vase with applied silver overlay birds. Features silver overlay birds and butterflies.
Silver
Modern Gilt Iron and Art Glass Vase
Located in Norwood, NJ
Freeform gilt iron tree branch, floral stem styling and gold fleck art glass vase. Tapered cylindrical gold fleck tinted glass vase surrounded by fre...
Wrought Iron
Pair Of Pairpoint Controlled Bubble Amethyst Cut Glass Vases
By Pairpoint Glassworks
Located in Norwood, NJ
Pair of Pairpoint amethyst glass controlled bubble vases. The flared trumpet form top with copper wheel cut design above a clear controlled bubb...
Art Glass, Cut Glass
Antique Figural Amphora Vase
Located in Norwood, NJ
This is a wonderful quality example of Amphora pottery that features two full figural love birds that are perched on the top edge of the vase. Note the different glazes that bring wo...
Ceramic
