The lord of glass, a magician, a ladies man, a bully and a chaos from the world of jewelry fashion - what epithets Rene Lalique did not receive during his lifetime, and many years after his death ... His name is a synonym for an amazing understanding of the world reflected in the game of colors and light , It is a synonym for unconditional taste, desire for new discoveries, experiments, fearlessness in violation of generally accepted, understandable, but sometimes incredibly boring rules and norms.
Young artist
Paris, end of the 19th century. Rene works as a simple apprentice in a jewelry workshop. He studies, tries, draws bold sketches, and even then there is no doubt that he has a great destiny.
Sketches of jewelry by Rene Lalique in those days were willingly bought by Boucheron and Cartier. According to the drawings of the young artist, jewelry was made and issued with the stigma of jewelers already known at that time. There was something breathtaking in Lalik’s sketches: both gusts of wind, and the bronze radiance of dragonfly wings, and the depth of the ocean. Rene always felt the Woman subtly, saw the beautiful in her, knew what she could fall in love with only a glance ...
First workshop
Of course, the sale of sketches did not bring Rene a lot of income. But it was not money at all - he just wanted to create. And to create not on paper, no! He wanted to cast metal, blow glass, grind and cut, catch beautiful moments and condemn them to eternity, like a drop of resin in time immemorial caught a gape midge, froze and turned into amber.
Lalik opened the first workshop in the center of the world fashion capital. And they started talking about him, they just started to sing him. He was worshiped by secular beauties, aristocrats, daughters of the most noble houses of the Old World. To the same extent, he won the hearts of sub-nets, artists, half-light lionesses.
Any woman, putting on jewelry from Lalik, felt involved in magic. Beetles, fish, snakes - everything, from which muslin young women once lost consciousness, has now turned into an object of desire. And again, to faint.
Lalik praised everything beautiful in his works. Even the insects and reptiles that came out from under his incisor struck with refinement, grace, and harmonious proportions.
Breaking stereotypes
Jeweler Rene Lalique neglected generally accepted norms. If he needed a piece of brass or a glass to emphasize the work of platinum and diamonds, it means that he took it. Framing noble metal river pearls? Easy! Combine beautiful faceted amethysts with tin? Please, if you so wish. And while the jewelry elite gazed at the insolent indignant glances, the young ladies of all Europe cried with delight.
The classic cut of precious stones, smooth lines, a harmonious composition, beautiful noble metals? All this, of course, is great, it will live centuries and someday it will cost millions. But thousands of craftsmen are doing this. And who of them would be able to sing in stone and metal the graceful fragility of an aspen sting? Rene Lalique saw beauty with his heart. For him, roses and thorns, and weeds around a rose bush, and caterpillars swarming in the foliage were always equally beautiful.
What power does a wizard possess, forcing secular ladies to exchange diamonds for glass! This is exactly what maestro Lalik has always been.
Painted clouds
Red thread through all the works of Rene Lalique passes glass and rock crystal. As a child, he transferred to paper everything that at least to some extent caught his sharp mind or sensual heart. Not childishly realistic work amazed contemporaries. According to the master himself, only clouds did not succumb to him. He looked at them, understood their nature, admired them ... And then glass fell into his hands. Since then, the desire has been granted. It turned out that you can create clouds from crystal and glass.
The passion for glass so overwhelmed the ardent soul of the maestro that he declared publicly that he would no longer work with precious stones, for which he had never been distinguished by love. Fashionistas sobbed and wrung their hands. But the master reassured them, promising to arrange something like a farewell ball - to present a whole collection of jewelry, in which everything will be: from enamels to diamonds.
At his farewell exhibition in 1912, visitors could not restrain their tears. But can a wizard allow someone to sob sobily? He reassured fans with the news that his new creation, a collection of perfume bottles, would be released soon. The best perfumers in Europe queued up that day.
Mascots
It is said that the most sincere version of flattery is imitation. Lalika began to copy. Someone tried to blindly repeat his work, someone was inspired by his genius and created something completely new and his own. It would seem that this is the limit, this is the peak of fame. But it was not there. Not such a person was Rene Lalique, whose work at that time had already gained world fame. Having played enough with perfumery dishes, the maestro bought a small glass-blowing production and put the case on stream. Do you think that at that moment the words “stamping” and “mass production” appeared in his life? No matter how! Under the brand name "Lalik" perfume bottles are still being produced , and even now they are made manually! That is, each of them is unique in its own way.
Lalika was overwhelmed by a new idea - he began to make jewelry for ... cars. They got the name Mascottes. The famous Citroen 5CV Citroen inspired the master to create a five-horse action figure. Using special lights, they changed color while riding. A total of 30 such figures were created, and today they are literally worth its weight in gold.
Architectural experiments
Life does not stand still. The fiery nature required continuation. Architecture is the next thing Lalique Rene paid attention to. Photos of his works are striking in the scope and flight of unbridled imagination. Yesterday's jeweler worked on a grand scale, as if all his life he was only engaged in interiors.
His most famous works in this industry are: finishing the elite Orient Express train and decorating the halls on the Normandy ship.
Worthy heir
Empire Lalika continues to live. Rene Lalique died in 1945. His place was taken by a son - a worthy son of his great father. No less talented and energetic, Mark Lalique preserved and increased his father's legacy. In addition to innate giftedness, he was also given the love of crystal. In his hands he came to life and filled with light. A technical mindset allowed Mark to combine art and the latest achievements of scientific progress. His work "Horse Head" is a symbol of the art of the 50s.
Granddaughter of great grandfather
Marie-Claude Lalique, who succeeded Mark as her father, remained faithful to the style and sense of beauty inherited from her grandfather. She not only creates jewelry, releases perfumes, but also launched a line of exclusive accessories. For many years, perfume dishes were supplied only for the Nina Ricci house, and the world-famous perfumes L'air du temps are rightfully considered a joint creation of these brands. Marie-Claude launched her own line of perfumes - Lalique de Lalique. Soon, another appeared - Nilang de Lalique.
Another of her creations is Bestiaire, a crystal fairytale zoo. The great Rene Lalique could be proud of his granddaughter.
Lalique today
Currently, the empire continues to flourish. The best auctions in the world are chasing masterpieces that have come out of the master’s tool a century ago, setting prices for them as objects of high art, which, without a doubt, are all that Rene Lalique touched.
His biography inspires writers and screenwriters. And, of course, it gives strength to dreamers and creators who are looking for their own ways in life and in art.