FLOWERS OF LORRAINE: Art Nouveau in Nancy

Historic capital of the ancient Duchy of Lorraine, Nancy has thrived as a centre of trade, commerce and craftsmanship from the 11th century. It has also nurtured the vision of some extraordinary men, whose artistic ambitions made it what it is today: a World Heritage city with an outstanding legacy of art and architecture stretching back over five hundred years. From Ducal stronghold to Enlightenment masterpiece Nancy was shaped to fit the ambitions of kings; only to be transformed again at the dawn of the Modern Age by the artists and architects of Art Nouveau, whose legacy is not merely found in museums, but as part of the essential fabric of Nancy today.

Lecture 1: Nancy: Capital of Lorraine to Queen of Art Nouveau

An introduction to the extraordinary phenomenon that is Nancy, from mediaeval beginnings, through the Age of Reason and the upheavals of Revolution and war, to rebirth as a leading centre of Art Nouveau, the dynamic, diverse and resolutely modern style of the turning century. 

Lecture 2: Style Nancy: Artists, Architects, Patrons

Art Nouveau thrived in Nancy largely because of the collaborative efforts of an extraordinary group of creative spirits. This lecture takes a closer look at some of the outstanding figures of the École de Nancy, including Émile Gallé, the finest glassworker of his (or arguably of any) age; Louis Majorelle, master of wood and metal; the brothers Daum, whose family-run glassworks stills produces fine art glass in Nancy today; architects Émile André and Lucien Weissenberger, and their patrons: printer Albert Bergeret and businessman Eugène Corbin.

Lecture 3:  Nancy International: The Exhibitions of 1900 and 1909 

A look at Nancy’s contribution to the spectacular Paris Exposition of 1900: climax of Art Nouveau and showcase for some of Gallé’s most extraordinary creations alongside outstanding works by his École de Nancy colleagues - many of which were acquired for the collections of the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A). Five years later Gallé was dead and Nancy mounted its own International exhibition, a celebration of the recovery of the region after the loss of Alsace which was also a celebration of Nancy’s greatest son and, as it turned out, a swansong for a style already being overtaken by history.



This Lecture is held at the Art Workers' Guild in Queen Square London.

TIMETABLE FOR THE DAY

10.30-11.00 Welcome refreshments

11:00-12:00 – Lecture 1

12:00- 12.30 Refreshments

12:30-13:30 – Lecture 2

13:30-14:30 – Lunch

14:30-15:30 Lecture 3