LALIQUE

The kiss is a recurring theme in Lalique’s work. The first known piece inspired by this theme is the ‘Le Baiser’ brooch, now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, which holds particular personal significance for him.
Around 1880, Lalique, barely 20 years old, spent some time in London. Falling in love with a young woman, he created this brooch to express his sadness when he had to leave her to return to Paris

RENÉ LALIQUE
In 1900, Lalique was 40 years old. His triumph at the Universal Exhibition in Paris bore witness to the extent of his genius. Irrevocably, with him, jewellery became a true work of art. At the height of his career, and as he enjoyed ever-greater success with his extraordinary and unusual jewellery sets, glass began to feature in his work, playing an increasingly significant role from the early years of the 20th century onwards. This glass, brought to its aesthetic peak by Art Nouveau, became the very emblem of progress and modernity, and a symbol of the transition between two eras. Lalique was fascinated by this material and, from 1890 onwards, sought to introduce form and an additional source of light into his creations without resorting to precious stones, which were very expensive. Glass offered him this possibility and thus paved the way for larger-scale production. Lalique then became exclusively a glassmaker, abandoning his original art.