Daum Nancy – “Paysage Soleil Couchant” vase with two applied handles

Description:

This refined Art Nouveau vase was created by the renowned glassmakers Daum Frères in Nancy at the beginning of the 20th century. The Daum family was among the leading figures of the École de Nancy, an artistic movement that embodied the ideals of French Art Nouveau, with nature as its principal source of inspiration. Their glass production, celebrated for its innovative use of techniques such as églomisage, intercalaire, enamel, and camée-verre, is admired worldwide for its refinement and poetic imagery.

This vase is an excellent example of Daum’s technical mastery and aesthetic vision. It is composed of a transparent base with vibrant inclusions of orange, yellow, and blue glass. The exterior is enriched with a finely rendered décor of trees and plants, executed in multiple layers of colored glass. The palette subtly transitions from light blue and green at the base to deep black in the silhouettes of the trees, evoking depth and atmospheric perspective.

The entire outer surface has been finished with a satin texture achieved through acid-etching, a technique that imparts a soft, diffused glow and gives the decoration a painterly quality. A distinctive feature of this vase is the pair of applied handles in bright orange glass, which emerge in fluid lines from the shoulder of the vase, adding an extra dimension of elegance and vitality.

Signed Daum Nancy with the Cross of Lorraine, this vase is not only an artistic object but also a tangible embodiment of the aesthetic and technical perfection of French Art Nouveau. An expressive example of the lyrical naturalism that defines the oeuvre of Daum.