René Lalique: Enchanted by Glass

The Chrysler presents a comprehensive look at one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, Rene Lalique, who combined artistry and industrialization to bring luxury to the masses.

Trained as a jewelry designer in the Art Nouveau style, he freelanced for Cartier and Boucheron before opening his own shop in 1885. By 1890, jewelry from his Parisian studio was the favorite of celebrities and social elites. His experiments with glass in jewelry steadily grew into a pursuit of its own, and within a few years his beautifully crafted perfume bottles were quite the rage. By 1909, he was mass-producing them in a factory.

This exhibition focuses on Lalique's work with glass and covers decades of creativity. As tastes moved from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, he had the luxury of being hailed as a leader and innovator in both.

By the time of his 1945 death, Lalique had left an indelible mark on glass art—producing jewelry, medallions, bottles, tableware, smoking accessories, lamps, clocks, even automobile mascots, more commonly known as radiator caps or hood ornaments today.

This exhibition includes historic images from a storied period of French history. It includes one of his patent applications, and it provides even further insight into his methods by way of production molds and design drawings.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website

Whether you go or not, René Lalique: Enchanted by Glass is a visually-stunning and informative survey of Lalique’s glasswork that includes hundreds of exquisite pieces and related archival material.This publication traces Lalique’s distinguished career, including his early experimentation with glass in jewelry-making; his production of innovative perfume bottles, some of the first pieces he made entirely of glass; and the peak of his glassmaking career at the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris. Hundreds of color photographs—including many dramatic, full-page images—spotlight individual pieces of glass and original wax and plaster models selected from the extensive collection of The Corning Museum of Glass. The book also draws on the Museum’s wealth of archival material on Lalique, including design drawings and photographs. This strikingly beautiful and informative volume is a testament to the singular allure of his enchanting glass.

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