Nature and the Nation in Fin-de-Siècle France by Dandona, Jessica M.;

Short description:

This book represents the first book-length, critical study of the art of Emile Gallé. It thus promises not only to revolutionize our understanding of his work but also to reframe the study of Art Nouveau by relocating the movement within the deeply politicized context in which it was created.

Long description:

By the time of his death in 1904, critics, arts reformers, and government officials were near universal in their praise of Art Nouveau designer Emile Gallé (1846–1904), whose works they described as the essence of French design. Many even went so far as to argue that the artist’s creations could reinvigorate France’s fading arts industries and help restore its economic prosperity by defining a modern style to represent the nation. For fin-de-siècle viewers, Gallé’s works constituted powerful reflections on the idea of national belonging, modernity, and the role of the arts in political engagement. While existing scholarship has largely focused on the artist’s innovative technical processes, a close analysis of Gallé’s works brings to light the surprisingly complex ways in which his fragile creations were imbricated in the political turmoil that characterized fin-de-siècle France. Examining Gallé’s works inspired by Japanese art, his patriotically inflected designs for the Universal Exposition of 1889, his artistic manifesto in support of Dreyfus created in 1900, and finally, his late works that explore the concept of evolution, this book reveals how Gallé returns again and again to the question of national identity as the central issue in his work.

"This fascinating book takes a new look at the artist, arguing his success in redefining 'Frenchness' through his ability to translate the nation into visual form that rendered it legible, all the while keeping away from nationalist rhetoric."

--EuropeNow

"Dandona has done a masterful job of identifying and interpreting archival materials, and she demonstrates consummate skill at interpreting the art works not only through documentation and historical context, but also through careful looking. ...It’s a 'must-read' for anyone interested in late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century French culture."

--Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide

Table of Contents:

Contents

List of figures
Acknowledgments

Introduction
Object nation: The role of the decorative arts in defining a modern style for France

Chapter One
Carved into the flesh of France: Gallé and the Franco-Prussian War

Chapter Two
Clear water: Japonisme, nature, and the formation of a national style

Chapter Three
Gallé and Dreyfus: A Republican vision

Chapter Four
One for all or all for one? Gallé and the Ecole de Nancy

Conclusion: A fragile legacy 
Works cited
Index