Art Nouveau Lamps
World Art Nouveau Day is celebrated on 10 June. The Réseau Art Nouveau Network designates a central theme for the day each year, and this year’s topic is the light.
By Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
#World Art Nouveau Day
Electric chandelier (end of 19. century) by unknownMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Most of the light fittings in the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest’s art nouveau collection were made in Paris, the international metropolis of art.
Exposition Universelle de 1900 (1900) by Neurdein FrèresThe J. Paul Getty Museum
In 1900, the French capital hosted the Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair. Larger than ever before, the Exposition in the ‘city of light’ was marked by a hopeful anticipation of the 20th century, and saw the full advent of the modern style, Art Nouveau.
Along with works of art, the 50 million visitors could see modern technological innovations, from a moving walkway and escalator to X-ray imaging and the wireless telegraph, and from diesel engines to Porsche’s electric car.
The 1900 Paris Exposition, palace of electricity and water castle (1900) by Louis LargerÉcole Polytechnique
A separate palace was raised for electricity, which, together with the fountain in front of it, was illuminated at night by thousands of bulbs.
Several lamps that represented the new, art nouveau style were chosen at this world fair for the collection of Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, by its director, Jenő Radisics.
Electric lighting had appeared in Hungary in the 1880s, and slowly began to replace traditional gas lighting, so the lamps purchased at the Exposition symbolized the cutting edge both in their style and technology.
Electric chandelier (1900) by René RozetMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Electric chandelier
Founded in 1800, the Gagneau foundry became known throughout Europe as a manufacturer of bronze lighting fittings. While being one of the exhibitors at the Paris Exposition, the company also had a delegate in its jury.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Georges Édouard Gagneau 's company had artists design such products that were informed by the modern, art nouveau style.
Designed by René Rozet, this monumental bronze pendant, which won a Grand Prix at the Paris Exposition, comes into its own in a large space. Scintillating with gilding, the body is comprised of four naturalistic, arched reeds, and is complemented by shell-shaped glass shades.
‘Dragonfly’ wall lamp (1895-1900) by Frédéric Eugéne PiatMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
‘Dragonfly’ wall lamp
Another prominent Parisian bronze foundry, the Maison Mottheau & Fils, exhibited a number of electric wall lamps, what they called ‘torchère lumineuse,’ at the Paris Exposition, most of them designed by sculptor Frédéric Eugène Piat.
This series included a silver-plated bronze wall lamp, called the ‘dragonfly,’ depicting a delicately modelled female figure. Winged and naked, she holds three day lilies, a popular flower of Art Nouveau, with the light bulb sockets hidden in the flower heads.
The original lustre of its surface, which was golden, silvery, greenish and purplish, has survived only in traces.
Oil lamp (ca. 1898) by Tony SelmersheimMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Oil Lamp
Tony Selmersheim closely cooperated with another architect and designer, Charles Plumet, and the two presented a room together at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
Its furnishing included a gilded bronze oil lamp designed by Selmersheim, with an opalescent glass font whose lustre-painted decoration imitates a peacock feather. This model was featured at several exhibitions, and was also sold by another Paris gallery, La Maison Moderne.
It can be identified in several photos from the period, with diverse shades, including a frilly textile one and a large opaque glass globe.
Handheld candlestick (1890's) by Tony Selmersheim (1871-1970) and Charles PlumetMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Handheld candlestick
Along with the electric light fittings, traditional ones were also featured at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Tony Selmersheim designed an entire collection of light fittings for the Exposition, which, along with the popular oil lamp, included portable candlesticks.
The series is marked by characteristically art nouveau compositions and designs, with stylized, sinuous vines, branches and leaves.
Electric table lampMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Electric table lamp
This gilded bronze sculpture of the celebrated dancer, Loïe Fuller is an embodiment of the elemental dynamism of movement—while also being an electric table light. Fuller complemented her choreographies, including her Danse Serpentine, with colour lighting of her own design.
Electric table lampMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Her influence on modern dance is still in evidence, with contemporary companies continuing to restage her spectacular choreographies. She had her own dance theatre on the grounds of the 1900 Paris Exposition, where Japanese dancers were also featured.
Visual artists were not immune to her overwhelming popularity either, and she became the inspiration for a great many works of visual and applied art, photo series and films.
Loïe Fuller was particularly often featured in Parisian sculptor Raoul François Larche works, such as the various bronze table lights that were reproduced by Siot-Décauville, a Parisian foundry.
Electric table lampMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
This was probably the most popular model, which can be seen in a historic photo in the home of actress Sarah Bernhardt, and is still a treasured item in many private and public collections.
Electric table lamp (second half of 1890's) by Émile RobertMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Electric table lamp
Demonstrating the artisanship of Émile Robert, this wrought-iron lamp enriched the variety of those light fittings that the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest purchased at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
As is evident from a historic photo, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the highly stylized, plant-like lamp was fitted with an elongated, ovoid white opaque bulb with a twisted tip.
Electric and gas chandelier (end of 19. century) by Emil VidorMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Electric and gas chandelier
This special pendant, which combines electric and gas lighting, was probably designed by Hungarian architect Emil Vidor. Its distinctive, geometricizing shape could be seen in a room of the Bedő House, a building in Hold Street, Budapest, which was designed by Vidor.
The central glass shade hides a light bulb...
...while the tips of the lower, curved section hold gas lights.
Electric table lamp (ca. 1900) by Jozef KratinaMuseum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Most of these lights are now on view in the György Ráth Villa, at the exhibition, Our Art Nouveau.
See also the erlier part of our series to learn about the Art Nouveau typography.
by Ildikó Pandur, PhD
Editor: Sarolta Sztankovics
