Symbolist Lighting: Gallé's Elusive Chauve-Souris Lamp

In honor of Halloween I thought I would write about a personal macabre favorite from decorative art history. Most people familiar with the 19th century French glass artist Emile Gallé know him primarily for his floral cameo glass vases which appear season after season at auction seemingly without end. Most are part of his more commercial production however there are a small group of the artist's works that reflect his deep interest in the natural world and ties to the Symbolist Art movement.

Portrait of Emile Gallé by Victor Prouvé ca. 1892

Enter the Lampe Chauve Souris or bat Lamp.

Gallé Bat Lamp: sold Sotheby's NY, 12/6/02 ($77,625)

The look is at once decadent, perhaps sinister but captures the artistic sensibilities of fin-de-siecle France. Gallé was captivated by the natural world and his attachment to Symbolist poets like the notoriously eccentric Count Robert de Montesquiou is clearly evoked in this lamp. The work itself is not really about function but more about creating a mood, cloaking the scientific austerity of modern technology in the rich orange-amber glow of a night sky with occult overtones.

Gallé Bat Lamp: sold Christie's London, 5/4/07 ($119,160)

Very few of these lamps were produced owing to their subject matter and thus a scant handful are known to us today. This rarity of course affects the price. The two versions above are fairly similar and were on the market in the past decade. I for one am eager to see the larger version of this model in the flesh as the last known example has not been seen since it was on the block at Sotheby's in 1978 (see below).

The base is highly realized Art Nouveau without being excessive and is not as rigid as the other examples. The theme is essentially the same but the base adds another layer with its eerily creeping poppy pod. Gallé is clearly referencing the opium poppy's ancient associations with sleep, intoxication and death. The lamp is the perfect manifestation of late 19th century decadence but done in an intelligently fluid manner. Some may find it dark and creepy but it is an unabashed personal favorite... Happy haunting.

$3M Boldini Painting discovered in Parisian "Tomb"

I have neglected you dear readers for far too long but unfortunately life does tend to get in the way sometimes. This story was featured in the Telegraph earlier this month and was the subject of dinner party conversation the other night. Having been in the "biz" for some time I have had the privilege/ horror to enter this sort of crumbling domestic time capsule where a modern day Miss Havisham at one point opted to lock the door and stop time altogether. I love how they politely refer to the decedant as a "demimondaine" which is a rather 19th century way of saying mistress. It evokes the Moulin Rouge posters by Lautrec but one can venture that is was a far less romantic reality. Read the details here.