René Lalique: Selections from the Steven and Roslyn Shulman Collectio
n introduces the artistic innovations and legacy of renowned French Art Deco artist René Lalique. Born outside of Paris in 1860, Lalique was recognized as one of France’s foremost Art Nouveau jewelry designers before turning to the material of glass in the early twentieth century. By the 1920s, Lalique’s glass artwork embraced the new ideas and technologies that swept the United States and Europe. He brought an artistic aesthetic to new industries such as automotive and electrical products, as well as to new clienteles including the rising middle class and the increasingly independent female consumer. His legacy has influenced subsequent generations of designers and artists, in particular contemporary artists working in the medium of glass. Lalique’s considerable imagination and eye for design is evident in the Steven and Roslyn Shulman Collection, one of the most comprehensive selections of Lalique glass in the United States. The collection features perfume bottles, vases, automobile mascots, and a wealth of other objects that exemplify the Art Deco style and celebrate Lalique’s sense of design.