Style Other / Ref.15161

Gallé Establishments, Seagull Plate, between 1918 and 1936

This Seagull Plate in triple-layered glass was produced by the Gallé Establishments between 1918 and 1936.

Considered the founding father of Art Nouveau, Émile Gallé (Nancy, 1846-1904) took over the workshop established by his father and gave it a significant artistic direction, which he maintained throughout his life with his ever-renewed creativity. After his death, the Gallé Establishments continued production under the management of his widow, Henriette, with the privilege of signing the pieces they created with his name. Upon her death, the Establishments were taken over by her son-in-law, Paul Perdrizet, until 1936, when the Gallé factory closed. The signature on the Seagull Plate corresponds to the one used during this final period.

The animal-themed decoration in triple-layered glass of this plate fits perfectly within the production of Gallé’s later years. The first layer, in a rich yellow, brightens the rim of the plate as well as the beaks and feet of the seagulls; the second layer, white and misty, enhances the transparency in the depiction of the waves, foam, and birds; the final layer, in a deep blue characteristic of Gallé’s work, represents the sky.

The decoration of this plate is reminiscent of a vase sold at auction by Tajan in 2017. This vase also featured several seagulls in flight over a stormy sea. However, the color subtleties are less refined in the vase, primarily due to the absence of a third layer.