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(Nancy Kaufman) #1
Think of the world’s great design destinations
and you’d 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 École de Nancy
the collective of artists and makers who created
the Nancy art nouveau movement around


  1. 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
l’École de Nancy; a fountain in
the Place d’Alliance 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
École de Nancy

138 H&A SUMMER 2017

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