1903
French
walnut, oak, chesnut, various fruitwoods, iron, gilding, glass
Overall: 107 × 83 × 27 1/2 in. (271.78 × 210.82 × 69.85 cm)
77.4
Émile Gallé is chiefly known for his glass, ceramics, and furniture in the French Art Nouveau style. He promoted a design style based closely on nature and plant forms. Gallé’s furniture usually had a specific theme, and in the museum’s sideboard it is autumn. Harvest scenes appear in the panels on the lower doors, gilded-iron wheat sheaves form the drawer pulls, and carved-wood wheat sheaves flank the top half of the cabinet. The enlarged gilded-iron snowflakes and twisted stems at the center suggest the coming of winter. Paul Holderbach, who was in charge of Gallé’s sculpture studio, created the gilded-iron mounts, and August Herbst designed the marquetry panels. This sideboard was displayed at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1903.
Inscribed (on bottom of proper left door): Galle; on door, proper left side: Salon des Beaux Arts - 1903
Sydney and Frances Lewis Art Nouveau Fund
Displayed at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1903
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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