Although renowned for his work as a verrier, lamps did not form a significant part of Galle's repertoire in glass until immediately prior to 1900. Indeed, only in the last few years of his life does it appear that he realised the full aesthetic potential of opalescent glass viewed by transmitted light. In an Art Nouveau context, Galle's creations reached their apogee between 1900 and his death in 1904, a brief period during which he adapted the shape of much of his glassware to its theme. Vases decorated with lilies became lily-shaped in a marriage of form and function. Fully-ripened gourds pendent on their vines glowed from within at the touch of a switch. Mushroom lamps brought the concept to full embodiment in the metamorphosis of the giant fungi into light fixtures. This comprehensive volume catalogues the full range of light fixtures produced by the Galle cristallerie, from those made during his lifetime to those manufactured for more than twenty-five years after his death. Including table, bedside, hanging and wall models, 'Galle Lamps' reveals the extraordinary variety of thematic shade-and-base combinations introduced by the firm: butterflies, moths, dragonflies, swallows and eagles hover, flutter, glide or swoop over flora and mountain vistas in a seemingly endless interplay of Nature's decorative motifs. This volume is a companion to 'Galle Furniture' ISBN:9781851496624.

Emille Galle was one of the leading figures of the Art Nouveau movement in France, and founder of the famous Ecole de Nancy. A polymath and committed social activist, he was best known for his glasswork and faience. Furniture became his third discipline after experimenting with the manufacture of wooden bases on which he could mount his glass vases. Galle ardently followed the French tradition of furniture decoration known as marqueterie. His work is characterized by its meticulous decorative veneers, stained with subtle organic dyes; its panels inlaid with stunningly intricate country scenes and flowers. This book outlines all of Galle's major works of furniture, from the unique pieces that were designed for an exclusive clientele, to those displayed between 1889 and 1904 at the annual Paris Salons and two World Expositions. The recent emergence of many of his objets de luxe enables the reader to understand many of his pieces for the first time. Written by Decorative Arts specialist Alastair Duncan, the book documents the history of Galle s furniture production from his favorite motifs to the ways in which he used furniture design to express his social and political ideals. Duncan includes an encyclopedic range of models created in the Galle Workshops both during and after his lifetime. Beautifully illustrated, and containing translations of Galle s Notes to the juries of the World Expositions, this stunning publication will leave the reader captivated by this decadent expression of the new art that changed the European aesthetic forever.