This Art Nouveau vase displays a desire for botanical truth: details of the hazel catkins, anemone flowers, and plant stems.
Thanks to his absolute mastery of the material and his technical innovation, Émile Gallé also gave his creativity free rein. The luminous color of the catkins and the pearly, purplish background give the rippling shapes of the various motifs the appearance of relief. Each color subtly offsets its neighbor, presenting a poetic vision of nature.
Émile Gallé’s passion for flowers was born during his walks in the countryside of Lorraine. He contemplated them throughout his life and studied them with scientific rigor. To feed his creative drive and acquire models, he collected plants from his garden and from around his factory.