Displaying items by tag: rene lalique

The home of René Lalique in Wingen-sur-Mode, where the glass designer would stay when visiting his nearby factory, is currently being transformed into a luxury hotel that should start welcoming guest as Villa Lalique in the spring of 2015, Silvio Denz, CEO of Lalique and a longtime collector of the famed glass master’s perfume bottles, told Blouin Lifestyle.

Lalique, who founded his company in 1885, started his career as a jeweler, but is today probably better known for his decorative objects from perfume bottles to vases. He founded his factory in Wingen-sur Mode, which is in the Vosges in the North-east of France, in 1921 and the villa dates from the period and is typical of the architecture found in the Alsace region with half-timbering.

From the rivers and lakes of his childhood in the Champagne region to the pond at Clairefontaine, his estate near Paris, French jeweler and glassmaker René Lalique (1860-1945) was inspired by the flora and fauna underwater and skimming the surface—fish, sea horses, dragonflies, frogs, turtles, swans, water lilies—and by the shimmering water itself.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has announced plans for a major renovation of its Lila Acheson Wallace Wing. Completed in 1987, the Wing houses the museum’s Modern and contemporary collection, which includes works by the circle of early American modernists around Alfred Stieglitz, including Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Marin; large-scale paintings by Abstract Expressionists, such as Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko; and modern design, from Josef Hoffmann and members of the Wiener Werkstätte to Art Nouveau jewelry by René Lalique.

The Met, which is the largest art museum in the United States, is in the midst of re-evaluating its layout, and addressing the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing’s shortcomings is a top priority. As it stands, the Wing does not allow for a chronological presentation of the museum’s collection, creating a disjointed visitor experience. To remedy the issue, The Met plans to rebuild the Wing, potentially from scratch. Enhanced exhibition space will also allow the museum to better display its Modern and contemporary art holdings, which got a considerable upgrade last spring when philanthropist and cosmetics mogul Leonard A. Lauder donated 79 Cubist paintings, drawings, and sculptures.