GLASS CIRCLE
NEWS
EDITORS
David tta
27 Ila an a d
Barnet, Herts. EN51AN
Gabriell Gro
9 Harman Dr 1 ve
London,
N.W.2. 2EB
No 9. February 1979
ART NOUVEAU GLASS
(Meeting on Thursday 18th January,1979 at Westminster Hospital)
Mr. Philippe Garner, of Sotheby’s-Belgravia, touched first on the art
historical background of the Art Nouveau movement, stressing the reac~ion
0~ the
second half of the 19th
C. to the Historicism which marked the middle of the
century;
and the international character oft movement, which took along with
it France, Belaium, England, ~ussia,,Sweden and the U.S.A. Its culmination–may
be deemed to be the Paris International Exhibition of 1900. A return to Nature
and the impact of Japanese aTt, were fonnative factors, while the surface qualit
ies of
excavated Roman and Islamic glass inspired the iridescent treatment of
much Art
Nouveau glass, and chinese vases and snuff-bottles suggested the potent
ialities of casing and strong colours.
The hint was taken in the cased glasses
of Rousseau and Galle, and particularly in the latter’s margueterie de verre,
which employed inserts of several different colours. True Art Nouveau glass,
however, assimilated these influences and showed them not merely in surface treat
ment and decoration, but in the fonn and substance of the glass itself. It is
particularly important in judging Art Nouveau glass to distinguish between the
&lasses directly inspired by the master himself (e.g. Galle) and those mass
produced in his general style.
Mr Garner then described and illustrated works of the leading figures in the
movement -notably Galle and Tiffany -and showed
a fascinating series of slide~
of the
lesser artists who followed in their footsteps. An important sideline
was followed by the artists who made glass in the technically distinct mould-cast
pate de verre – notably Cros, Oanmouse, Oecorchemont, Walter and Argy-Rousseau.
Apart from an excellent series of slides showing the glasses themselves, Mr
Garner showed a number of views of the interiors of the Galle concern, with girls
decorating the small glasses and men the large, and a view of Galle’s furnace at
the Paris Exhibition, an epitome of the artist’s romantic and literary approach
to
his metier. This is well sun1I1ed up in Victor Prouve’s well-known portrait
of Galle himself at work in his studio, with flowers (no doubt freshly cut from
his garden) on the table to inspire him.
The hosts on this occasion were Mrs B. Morris, Mr P. Dreiser and Mr P. Elli~an.
–oOo–
NEWS FROM THE FROZEN NORTH
Grounded
by weather, no petrol, and a cold ….. so starts a rema~kuiy
spirited letter from our ever active member, Laura Seddon. In this’_”i.a1tance
the worst endeavours of man and Nature acted to our benefit and a pile of neglect
ed correspondance at last received its deserts. Having a glass .. collection is
one thing, having it displayed for the public benefit is another and the Seddon
Collection of Coloured English Glass has certainly had its problems ln this
‘ • connection. Its inmediate future is now assured ,however, and it will be on
displ y at Br mall Hall, Stockport, near Manchester, until March 1st 1980. The
hall itself is worth seeing -a good example of Cheshire black and
‘white arch
itecture with some fine frescoes and furniture. It it open weekdays with cond
ucted tours at present. To see the glass contact the caretakers, Mr and Mrs
Sumner (Tel. 061-485 3708) or Laura, who may be able to arrange a special visit.
A catalogue,
li ■tin& the latest additions, is available for 50p.
Old Christmaa cards, charming and evocative are Laura’s other love and you
y hav I eo videoc of this in a recent “Magpie” programne on Thame T.V and
in an article ln
Coll ctor’ Ouide ••••• Meanwhile, outside it is still snowina!!
IAN TA L GLAS AND ORNAMENTS by B rb r i
O, 16 h l ~ton pl
t , 8 olou pl t
& Jenkin, London 1978. £10.00
nd sp i lists, m teurs and connoisseu will r rd he v nties
in r ve ling fresh and to the fullest ·extent th ingenu ty, t st
tman hip of Victorian artists and artisans. This
appr ci tion is the
not only
of exa&gerated price levels and the consequent sc rcity of
e lier periods, but also of the fact that in an age of m ch nizat
i n and mas production we have come to reappraise and· value the Victorin
p That this attitude has already made its impac~ on today’s
develop-
an obvipus reality. I
To bing together in one volume, intelligently and lucidly, the enormously
wide ad bewildering range of glass factories, glassmakers, designs and tech
niques of the Victorian age is a remarkable feat. Our congratulations
mu t
therefore go to the author, our (coumittee) member Barbara Morris, late of the
Victoria & Albert Museum and presently Principal of Sotheby’s Course on Europeau
19th and 20th Century Decorative Art who, with her impressive and extensively
researched work has achieved just that.
The text, explicit on the variety of techniques applied, includes sections
on Sulphides, Paperweights, Portrait busts,
Nailsea &lass, Friggers, Venetian
style
glass, Centre-pieces and flower stands, Aesthetic Arts and Crafts glass,
Later fancy glass, and is full of fascinating references and quotes from contemp
orary books, exhibition catalogues and gazettes. The author’s realistic approach
to this particularly confusing phase in glassmaking is enhanced by much c refully
gleaned information on personalities involv~d and this, coupled with profuse,
well-placed illustrations, not entirely done justice by as
regards the quality
of printing, includincsections from pattern books, registry-, trade-and factory
marks, is invaluable in identifying glass of a period when continental glass-.
makers and techniques in British factories add to the difficulty of provenance.
The sensible and extensive index 1$ an essential help for the reader and the
bibliography confirttls the dearth of publications in this field. The present
volume is the most comprehensive of its kind and an invaluable addition to
existing glass literature.
Gabri lla Gros
-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·~·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-
MISSING LINK(
In the last GC News we presented an article, The Link, describing
a maaber’a
realization of the connection between her two interests, the Brontes and the
Beilbys. What we failed to tell you was the author’s name. Did you guess? It
was (Mrs) Phyllis L. Bell. This link is revealed wi~h our apoiogies.
BLOW, BLOW
THGU ••••• (Old Classmakers Seasonal Pun!-)
Our “Having
a go at (‘;lassmaking” has brought a note fro’1 fellow m111ber, )
Peter Layton, telling us of’The London Classblowing Workshop at H pe (SuffTan~e
Wharf, 10, aotherhithe St., London, Sll~ 4Nr. Peter, who runs the
Wark9h•~bi:~
both an established teacher and a skilled glassmaker with International lxh •
ions to his credit and works represented in both public.and private cellectio~:•
The Workshop itself is one of a group of craft workshops set up under th
:.::~tor)’
of the Industrial Buildin1s·Preaervation Trust~ A tvo-day eken4
~at teri•l••
course
(11.00a. ■. – 4.30p.m. each day) costs £55 includtq·tuition an aa t
Saaaloua at other times or facilttiea fer tbe experienced are~ ar~..,…any; 1.i1
h bo .d A9 1.,.ter • , Glye hi.a a riq ea. 01-671 8354 or write tot• a v• a r•••• ,. revardia&!
•die u it. i• cheapar tllaa a piano leHea -••• , … veuld aay -r•
DV NIIDIU. ..:.. LB. 1–1.- f TII bri41• W lla, • d Nt A TAIL DD VILCONI TO ~ – A.I. Jackaoa o ur, aun,tlal• , us.