Émile Gallé, Louis Majorelle

ÉMILE GALLÉ (Nancy, France, 1846–1904) and LOUIS MAJORELLE (Toul, France, 1859–Nancy, 1926).
Art Nouveau table lamp, circa 1905.
Lampshade by Émile Gallé in acid-etched multilayered glass.
Base by Louis Majorelle in patinated bronze.
Lampshade signed. Base unsigned.
Wired for electricity.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Measurements: 52 × 28 × 18 cm.

The lamp brings together two key figures of the École de Nancy and stands as a prominent example of the Art Nouveau ideal of integrating the arts. The combination of Gallé’s glasswork with the sculptural base attributed to Majorelle links two essential aspects of the decorative renewal that took place in Nancy: experimentation with light and color in glass, and the organic interpretation of structure.

The acid-etched multilayered glass allows for a gradation of reddish and amber tones in the lampshade, whose floral shape transforms when lit. The base extends this naturalistic language through a structure of stems, shoots, and sinuous lines, conceived not merely as a support but as an inseparable part of the composition. The advent of electric lighting particularly favored this type of design, in which lighting, sculpture, and nature are fully integrated.

Émile Gallé was one of the great masters of Art Nouveau glass and the first president of the École de Nancy. Louis Majorelle distinguished himself as a cabinetmaker and designer, translating the new style’s botanical dynamism into furniture, metalwork, and lighting. The work of both artists occupies a central place in institutions such as the Musée de l’École de Nancy and the Musée d’Orsay.