France’s Art Nouveau movement threw up a galaxy of stars, the brightest of whom was glassmaker extraordinaire Rene Lalique. Craftsman, jeweller, innovator, visionary, the legend of Lalique lives on in the ultra luxe marque that he created and in manors across the world where his products find pride of place. Now, in a homecoming of sorts, Lalique’s creations will come to the place where his story began: in Wingen-sur-Moder in Alsace in eastern France, the 18th-century glassmaking site where Lalique started out.
While glassmaking has had a presence in the La Petite-Pierre region of Alsace since the 18th century, Rene Lalique set up his glass factory at Verrèrie d’Alsace in Wingden-sur-Moder in the 1920s. In 1962, the factory was renamed the Cristallerie Lalique, where the artist produced unique glassware in the shape of goblets, vases and decorative bowls. Today, the area is the sole place where Lalique crystal is produced.
Come July, the town will welcome visitors to Musée Lalique, a museum dedicated to the grandmaster’s glass and crystal vision and work. Designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the museum will showcase the many facets of Lalique’s works, such as jewellery, vases, goblets and decorative bowls, much of which were created during the Art Nouveau period between 1890 and 1905. The perfume bottles, statues and a variety of Art Deco glass designs, created later, will also be on display. While many exhibits have been donated by the Lalique Company and Paris museums such as the Musée des Arts et Métiers and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, many objects have also been loaned by private collectors.
If each section has been meticulously planned inside, the outside too has received careful attention. Since a majority of the master’s inspirations came from flora and fauna, Wilmotte is taking special care with the landscaping of the museum grounds. Flower gardens and woodlands are being created everywhere, to be populated by the species that formed Lalique’s subject.
Audiovisual and multimedia aids will help visitors get a comprehensive view of the historical, artistic and technical concept behind Rene Lalique’s work. Finally, special guided tours are being planned to explore the site and uncover the history of glassmaking in the area. Clearly, a museum that’s in a glass of its own.