The book on René Lalique: Enchanted by Glass is enchanted itself by the excellent photos and layout. The book starts with Lalique’s quote: “Glass is a wonderful substance. Everything makes it an incomparable plastic medium in the hands of an ingenious artist, offering his imagination and talent almost limitless scope for discovery”. The text is superb to read: informative on the life of Lalique, clear to read, well-illustrated with historical material. Page-sized photos of objects, designs, drawings and models invite the reader to fully understand the original spirit of the entrepreneur and artist who understood his time and clients so well. The text pages on The Third Republic in glass sketch the roaring years, the position of women, the modern styles, one-off pieces and mass production, paving the road for artists, architects and designers who would follow later.
A book all should read to understand the development in glass art.
Angela van der Burght