Ernest Baptiste Léveillé

ERNEST BAPTISTE LEVEILLE (France, 1841-1913)
"Vide-poche", ca. 1900
Glass and gilded bronze
Measurements: 11 x 28,5 x 16,5 cm

Elegant vide-poche or empty-pockets made around 1900, composed of a double bowl in molded glass and a finely worked gilded bronze frame. The piece fully responds to the French Art Nouveau taste, where the combination of materials and the dialogue between vitreous transparency and noble metal generate a refined decorative effect.

The vessels have wavy edges and faceted surfaces that enhance the chromatic nuances of the glass, with iridescent tones reminiscent of the material research typical of French production at the end of the century. The handle, in gilded bronze, articulates the composition with organic elegance, integrating functionality and ornament.

Ernest-Baptiste Léveillé was a leading figure in French decorative arts at the end of the century. Trained in the environment of François-Eugène Rousseau, he took over his business in 1885, consolidating it as a reference firm in the production of artistic glass. He acted as a marchand-éditeur, designing and supervising the execution of his models in collaboration with the main French glassworks. Awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1889, his work is part of the beginnings of Art Nouveau and reflects the transition between decorative historicism and the new modernist sensibilities. His works are preserved in the Musée d'Orsay.