Think of the worldâs great design destinations
and youâd be forgiven for not immediately
bringing the eastern French city of Nancy to
mind. Sitting at the crossroads of Europe the
city has for centuries been a cultural cauldron
a place where industry and artistry collide.
Nancy is known for its grand squares and the
greatest of them all is the UNESCO World
Heritage Place Stanislas a staggering 18th-
century square built by Stanislas Leszczynski
Duke of Lorraine and exiled King of Poland. A
symphony of classical architecture ironwork
and fountains it is considered one of the
greatest royal squares in Europe.
At the turn of the 20th century Nancy
was the French capital of art nouveau and art
deco partly due to the political climate of
the day. When neighbouring French border
regions were annexed by Prussia in 1871
Nancy remained firmly in France attracting
an intellectual community resistant to the
annexation. The region already had a long
history of manufacture ranging from heavy
industry to glass and ceramics cabinetmaking
and crystal. This resulted in a creative explosion
in the city and the birth of the Ãcole de Nancy
the collective of artists and makers who created
the Nancy art nouveau movement around- With a blend of creative and industrial
backgrounds the artists took inspiration from
the surrounding countryside
creating curving nature-
inspired pieces that were
demanded around the world.
One of the most significant
figures in the style was
Emile Gallé. A master
glassblower cabinetmaker
and ceramicist he was the son
of a Nancy glass and faience
manufacturer. When Gallé
took over the family business
he begin experimenting with
glassblowing techniques
creating imaginative pieces
that propelled him to star
status. Another key figure
and fellow glass pioneer was
Antonin Daum who along
with his brother Auguste
revived an ancient technique
known as pâte de verre (glass
paste) where fragments of
glass are melted in a mould
NANCY
For art nouveau art deco
and ornamental glass
FROM TOP One of the
beautifully detailed windows
designed by Jacques Gruber at
lâÃcole de Nancy; a fountain in
the Place dâAlliance which was
designed by French architect
Emmanuel Héré de Corny; with
its decoratively painted art
nouveau faade and elegant
ironwork balconies Rue Félix
Faure echoes the style of the
Ãcole de Nancy138 H&A SUMMER 2017