Gallé and Japonisme-Commemorating the First Anniversay of the New Building
Thursday (public holiday) 20 March to Sunday 11 May 2008

A great many objects of Japanese arts made their way to Europe during the second half of the 19th century through various means: some came with diplomats returning home from Japan, others were displayed at the World Expositions held in London and Paris, and so on. Elements of these arts were quickly adopted into local arts and culture creating the phenomenon dubbed "Japonisme". The influences were seen in painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass works and architecture, and eventually spread from Europe to the United States.
The works of Emile Gallé (1846-1904), one of the leading glass artists of the late nineteenth century, were no exception: the influence of Japanese arts can be seen in his works in myriad forms. Gallé began working in glass when Japonisme was at its height of popularity. Throughout his lifetime, he devoted himself in deepening his means artistic expression and maintained strong ties to Japanese art. Observing Gallé's passion, a contemporary critic once commented, One has to appreciate this irony of fate: being born Japanese in Nancy.
The exhibition will explore the ways in which Gallé discovered, incorporated and transformed Japanese arts found in Europe. The developments in Japonisme seen in Gallé's works will be presented through his own works, other contemporary arts and crafts, and the Japanese arts that influenced them.