The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of November 30, 2023

Frogs and Lily Pads (Grenouilles et Nénuphars) Vase

1909–12

René Lalique

(French, 1860–1945)

France, 20th century

Glass

Overall: 21 x 29.8 cm (8 1/4 x 11 3/4 in.)

John L. Severance Fund 2007.180

© Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Location

221 19th Century Decorative Arts

Fun Fact

René Lalique placed little sheets of metal foil behind the applied green frogs to reflect a dark green tint back to the viewer.

Description

This vase is an early example of French designer René Lalique's experimentation with producing artistic glass. Lalique combines applied, cast, and molded glass techniques to achieve an ethereal effect of a murky swamp, a typical Art Nouveau motif. Lily pads adorn the surface with green frogs perched on top.

Inscriptions

Inscription

"R. Lalique"

Provenance
before 1979
The Roger J. Mouré Collection, (Phillips, New York, March 12, 1979, Lot 147).
before 1988
The Frey Collection (Christie's, New York, June 10, 1988, Lot 51).
1988-2006
Tsuyoshi Kajikawa, Japan
2006
Collection of Tsuyoshi Kajikawa (Christie's, New York, 10 February 2006, Lot 94).
2006
A Private Collection of G. Argy Rousseau and Rene Lalique Masters of French Design (Christie's, New York, 18 December 2006, Lot 415)
Mark Waller, Gallery Moderne, Piermont, New York.
Citations
Laurvik, J. Nilsen. René Lalique. New York: Haviland & Co., 1912.
Dawes, Nicholas M. Lalique Glass. New York: Crown, 1986. library.clevelandart.org
René Lalique et cie, and Christie, Manson & Woods International Inc. Important Lalique Glass: The Frey Collection. New York: Christie's, 1988.
Marcilhac, Félix. René Lalique, 1860-1945, maître-verrier: analyse de l'œuvre et catalogue raisonné. Paris: Editions de l'Amateur, 2004. library.clevelandart.org
Harrison, Stephen, Emmanuel Ducamp, and Jeannine J. Falino. Artistic Luxury: Fabergé Tiffany Lalique. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2008. Mentioned: p. 44, reproduced: cat. 151 library.clevelandart.org
Franklin, David, and C. Griffith Mann. Treasures from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in association with, New York, NY: Scala Publishers, 2012. Reproduced & discussed: pp. 298-299 library.clevelandart.org
Bidwell, Frederick E., and Leslie Cade. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in association with New York, NY: Scala Arts Publishers, 2014. Reproduced & discussed: p. 145 library.clevelandart.org
Cleveland Museum of Art. Museum Masters: 2016-17 Companion Guide. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2016. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 24
Exhibition history

Artistic Luxury: Fabergé Tiffany Lalique . The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 19, 2008-January 18, 2009); Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (February 7-May 31, 2009).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2007.180