Émile Gallé

ÉMILE GALLÉ (Nancy, France, 1846 - 1904).
Wisteria vase.
Acid-carved cameo glass.
Signed.
Measurements: 47 x 18 cm.
Vase made of double-layered glass, has an acid-etched decoration depicting wisteria flowers and leaves in purple tones on a translucent background that can vary in shades of pink and violet. The acid etching at various depths creates two distinct shades of purple, giving it a richer visual richness.
Émile Gallé began his career working for his father, who owned a glass and ceramics factory, making designs with floral and heraldic motifs. Very interested in botany, he studied it in depth during his youth, alternating with drawing classes. Between 1862 and 1864, at his father's request, he traveled through Italy, England and Germany, becoming interested in the applied arts but also in subjects that he would later reflect in his works, such as music, philosophy and nature. On his return, he settled in Meisenthal, where his family's glass furnaces were, in order to fully learn the craft of glassmaking. He also traveled to London and Paris to see the collections of their museums. In 1874 he took over his father's factory, and soon achieve great international success, winning awards at international exhibitions and selling works to important-.