René Lalique, the Inventor of modern jewellery - France - Until 3-11-2024

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The Lalique Museum
40 rue du Hochberg
67290 Wingen-sur-Moder
France



René Lalique, the Inventor of modern jewellery

Until 3rd November 2024

Before becoming the undisputed master of Art Deco glass, René Lalique (1860-1945) had gained a name for himself during the Art Nouveau period. Considered by Emile Gallé as the inventor of modern jewellery, he introduced various innovations in his jewellery creations, both in terms of sources of inspiration and the materials he used.

Trained as a master jeweller, in his early creations Lalique made exclusive use of diamonds, favouring them for their unrivalled clarity and sparkle. But he was too independent a spirit to stick to tradition. I worked relentlessly, sketching and sculpting, doing endless studies and technical trials, in the aim of creating something new, something that had never been seen before. He began using gold and precious gem stones together with materials that had previously been rarely used and were seen as less noble, such as horn, ivory, semi-precious stones, enamel, and – of course – glass. It was his firm conviction that it was better to seek beauty than display luxury… Spirit should take precedence over matter.

His is above all an art of imagination and even, may we say, an art of feeling and poetry. A close observer and explorer of nature from his childhood, René Lalique took huge inspiration from the world of plants and animals. Female figures are also omnipresent in his work, whether as allegorical or winged figures or aquatic goddesses. He was curious and open-minded; an avid reader, he loved to visit museums and exchange ideas with his artist friends. He was familiar with the archaeological discoveries of Egyptian, Greek and Etruscan civilisations, as well as the treasures of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Byzantine and Caucasian art, the art of the Far East, and even of America.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm

Admission: €8

https://www.musee-lalique.com/en/news/r ... u-moderne/