“To seek beauty is a more worthy aim than to display luxury”
-René Lalique
WINGED CREATURES
In his youth, Lalique holidayed in the Champagne region of France, where his passion for the natural world took root. Some of his earliest photography captures the wetlands of La Benneterie, where he encountered an abundance of winged creatures, like Art Nouveau's most beloved symbol, the dragonfly.
BOTANICAL ACCURACY
Lalique observed nature with an intense curiosity circa 1900 - 1902, when some of these jewels were created. He trained his eye on the greenery near his countryside property at Clairefontaine near Rambouillet, and at Le Jardin des Plantes in Paris, to create a series of plant jewels.
— Visit us —
rene lalique: collector's reserve In-Person at Macklowe Gallery
Through December 27th
445 Park Avenue, NYC
THE FEMME FATALE IN NATURE
The Symbolist poetry of artists such as Jean Lorraine and Charles Baudelaire influenced the work of Lalique, providing a literary and intellectual flair to his design. Lalique's work reflected the femme fatale, who was dangerous, beautiful, and grotesque in equal measure.
