Émile Gallé (died 1904) was leader of the École de Nancy, a group of decorative artist‐craftsmen in Alsace who were producing high quality and innovative furniture toward the closing decades of the nineteenth century. Gallé is better known as an artist in glass and has already featured in the book, Glass by Gallé, and is due to feature in a forthcoming book, Gallé Lamps, both also by Duncan and de Bartha and the Antique Collectors' Club. In 1884 Gallé began construction of a state‐of‐the‐art furniture workshop which marked the start of a commercial operation that continued long after his death, to close in 1931. Gallé was a pioneer, using modern equipment for traditional designs, experimenting with a wide variety of woods, introducing naturalistic designs in addition to the traditional geometric patterns, modernising the archaic division of crafts based on the guild system of the ancient regime, devising new methods of marquetry, and employing the leading designers and cabinet makers of the day. He can be said to have pioneered the Art Nouveau Movement and his work was widely sought after and prized.
This sumptuous, lavishly illustrated large format book (strong coffee table needed!) is a presentation of Gallé's furniture and cabinetwork with high quality photographs and background commentary. The first section features Gallé's major furniture creations as they were introduced at international expositions and at annual Salons, arranged in chronological order from 1884 to 1909. Then follow chapters on a number of Gallé's major clients and the furniture they bought; characteristic motifs used by Gallé, especially flowers and their components, either as sculptured supports and moulding, or as floral marquetry and landscape panels; his use of naturalistic details on the smallest of furniture details such as their escutcheons, lock plates, drawer pulls and hinges; a speech of his on symbolic décor; and a translation of an article on Contemporary Furniture with Decoration Inspired by Nature.
By far the largest section of the book is the Gallery of Gallé's Furniture. This is a 240‐page presentation of furniture by category, 17 of them, ranging from Tables (eight sub‐divisions), Dining Rooms, and Bedrooms, to Music Cabinets, Desks, Chairs, Fire Screens, Wall Mirrors, and Tea Trays. The book includes a Bibliography and several indexes, namely General; Index of Gallé's Brochures and Publications; Index of Exhibitions and Expositions; and an Index of Gallé Designs. While most of the illustrations are coloured photographs of furniture and design details, there are a number showing exhibition rooms featuring Gallé's furniture, and some drawings. The text includes a number of translations of Gallé's own work from exhibitions catalogues and other publications. The high quality of publications of the Antique Collectors' Press will be known to regular readers of Reference Reviews, and it amazes me that such a high standard can be maintained for what is, given that quality, a modest price. Gallé Furniture will appeal to libraries covering furniture, design and cultural studies.
