Rene Lalique : archers & male athletes

Rene Lalique is a famous French glass designer, and jewellery designer. Several pieces are glass sculptures depicting male figures, on vases, doors, medallions, perfume bottles, and radiator caps for cars.

His exquisite jewellery was very much influenced by the the nature, fauna and flora, in the Art Nouveau style, like birds, insects like Dragonfly. He worked for Cartier and Boucheron. Later on, after the first war, he produced magnificent Art Deco large glass decoration, like for the Normandie luxury yacht (first class dining room), or the Orient Express train.

Orient Express panel (detail)

Athletes was one of his theme, as you can see on this 'Palestre' vase below done in 1928. In the biography from Félix Marcilhak (book cover on this post) you can read that Lalique wanted to express the beauty of these males, but also in the spirit of the Greeks, show their courage and wisdow.

He also created glass doors with athletes for the French clothes designer Jacques Doucet home in Paris.

And for the Wanamaker's store in Philadephia.

His passion was the glass. And to create beauty. Always with the highest quality. He had a workshop Place Vendome in Paris, created many glass objects for hospitals & drugstores (through a glass factory he transformed). He built his own glass factory in 1921 in Alsace (where the current Lalique Museum is located). This allowed him to distribute his creations to a larger audience, making them more affordable. He invented several techniques and process to work with glass, giving different finishes, or transparencies.

Lalique biography by Félix Marcilak

And linked to the athletes, you can admire a few pieces with archers as well, like on this radiator cap below from 1926.

Or on this vase from 1921, that was declined in several versions or colors, with archers looking for large birds.

For the International Exhibition in Paris, in 1937, with 44 countries participating, he created this medallion in glass, displaying 2 nude males holding their hands.

The year he died (1945) and was buried in the Paris Père Lachaise cemetery, his son started to work with cristal.

And it is with cristal that the Elton John Aids Foundation and Lalique worked together to raise funds, creating first a large lost wax original glass sculpture 'Angel' and some other pieces to be sold at a special auction in 2016, before to produce a limited serie available today.

 

 

 

Sources

https://rlalique.com
https://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/arts/sculpture/lalique-daum-galle-dans-un-corps-a-corps-sensuel-au-musee-du-verre-237331
http://www.musee-lalique.com
http://www.lalique.com
Wikipedia
http://eltonjohnmusicislove.lalique.com

Jean Cocteau & Jean Marais, famous French couple

Jean Cocteau was a French artist in all possible avenues, willing to excel in everything, from writing poems, fiction, novels, theatre plays, to creating ceramics, drawings, paintings, frescas, as well as designs, sculpture and jewellery. He spent a major part of his life (25 years) with the French actor Jean Marais. Before Jean Marais, he had a strong relationship with the young talented writer Raymond Radiguet (Devel in the Flesh - Le Diable au Corps) and also with Edouard Dermit.

Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais at the beach - 1939

Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais - photo by Beaton

Born on July 5, 1889, he died aged 74, on Oct 11, 1963. As well summarized by Wikipedia : ''Jean Cocteau is best known for his novel Les Enfants Terribles (1929), and the films Blood of a Poet (1930), Les Parents Terribles (1948), Beauty and the Beast (1946) and Orpheus (1949). His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Yul Brynner, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky, María Félix, Édith Piaf, Panama Al Brown, Colette and Raymond Radiguet.''

Among other honors, Cocteau was made a member of the Academie Française in 1955, and at the Royal Academy in Belgium as well. Below is the picture of Jean Cocteau dressed in his French Academy suit designed by Lanvin, and with his sword designed by himself and handcrafted by Cartier.

Detail of sword handle

 Here are some sculptures, ceramics, potteries and jewellery made by Jean Cocteau.

photo Annick Puvilland

Faun - bronze medallion

 

Chevre- pied - bronze - 1958

     

Pecheur de perles - bronze - 1958

And I could not resist to add a few drawings, some from his Livre Blanc (the White book).
Jean Cocteau drawings have often been inspired by sea life, sailors, etc as seen in his Livre Blanc, and other drawings made for Querelle, famous book written by Jean Genet.

Jean Cocteau in Toulon - 1930

 

 

Jean Cocteau sculpture of a faun inspired by Jean Marais face

Jean Marais (1913-1988), his lover, after a successful career in movies then theater, became a ceramist and sculptor as well.

Jean Marais photographed by Raymond Voinquel

Here are some works from him. The first serie of pictures shows 'Le Passe Muraille' (Going through walls) life size bronze sculpture displayed in Paris, inspired by the book from Marcel Aymé.

Other sculptures from Jean Marais :      

head of Jean Cocteau sculpted by Jean Marais - bronze

head of Jean Cocteau sculpted by Jean Marais - terra cotta

Le Chantre

Arno Breker, German sculptor who did many males sculptures as we will see in another post, made both heads from Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais, as seen below.

Arno Breker bronze sculpture - 1963 - head of Jean Cocteau

Arno Breker bronze sculpture - 1963 - head of Jean Marais

Some links :

Several videos / documentaries about Jean Cocteau
http://www.cocteau-art.com/default_gb.html
http://www.jeancocteau.net/bio1_en.php
http://tetu.yagg.com/2009/11/22/le-couple-cocteau-marais-est-un-exemple-gay-aujourdhui-encore/
http://quintessentialpublications.com/twyman/?page_id=26