Superbe Vase Art Nouveau , Clichy - Vase - Glass

Beautiful Art Nouveau vase from Clichy by François Théodore Legras
It is a marble-like color, 'White and Yellow.' This shade of color is not common on Clichy vases.
The collar is scalloped.
It is in superb condition, with no damage or missing parts.
Ideal for Art Nouveau decor for a Gite, hotel, loft, duplex, castle, office, showroom, florist, manor.
-------- François Théodore Legras, an important figure in glass art
Glass art
Originally from the Vosges and having spent his childhood in a small hamlet located in the heart of the Darney forest, François Théodore Legras was a great master glassmaker of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco era. The landscape surrounding his home during his childhood would later become his main source of inspiration.
With motifs inspired by nature and remarkable colors, Legras's works are of outstanding quality… To the point that they are still highly sought after by art enthusiasts and collectors today.
Coming from a modest family, François Théodore Legras was a hard worker. By the age of 27, he was already at the head of a prosperous company called the 'Verrerie de La Plaine Saint-Denis'.
Are you also impressed by the works of this master glassmaker from the Vosges?
Let's embark on a journey through the ages and the main outlines of the life of François Théodore Legras.
François Théodore Legras: from childhood to the life of a master glassmaker
François Théodore Legras is one of the famous glass masters of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods.
Just like the renowned artists of the 19th and 20th centuries such as Emile Gallé, the Daum brothers, the Muller brothers, or Jean-Simon Peynaud, he built a reputation that will transcend centuries.
His father, who was named Jean Nicolas Legras, was a lumberjack; and his mother, Baptiste Sophie Joly, was a housewife. Needless to say, François Théodore Legras came from a modest family.
He was, moreover, born in the hamlet of La Grande Catherine in Claudon, in the Vosges department, on December 27, 1839.
Before passing away in Paris on August 2, 1916, François Théodore Legras accomplished important missions: to promote glass art, to reveal his artistic talent, and to share exceptional works of art with future generations.
Nothing indicated that this little boy, who spent his entire childhood in the countryside, in the middle of the Darney forest, would later become the leader of a very famous glassware company, as well as a talented and passionate glass artist.
That said, his life in his native Vosges greatly contributed to shaping his future, as by becoming a glass artist, Théodore Legras would highlight nature in each of his productions.
Employing more than 1500 people, the Legras glassworks, known under the business name 'Verrerie et Cristallerie de St Denis,' will participate in many exhibitions and often wins awards: a gold medal at the 1888 Barcelona International Exhibition, and the 6th Grand Prize at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition...
François Théodore Legras: An Extraordinary Career
François Théodore Legras enters the world of glassmaking for the first time at the age of 20.
He began working as a night clerk in the glassworks located around his residence, in the Grande Catherine at Claudon.
This profession allowed him to learn the craft of glassmaking and discover its secrets and subtleties. He certainly found pleasure in what he did and became more passionate about it, eventually leading a famous glassworks a few years later.
At 24 years old, Legras leaves his native Vosges to join the glassworks in La Plaine Saint-Denis, located in a neighborhood of the city of Saint-Denis. This company hires the young Vosges native as a clerk and offers him the opportunity to develop his skills.
Six months later, François Théodore Legras was promoted to head of glass manufacturing at La plaine Saint-Denis. In 1866, when he was only 27 years old, Legras became the director of the brand.
Now that he has gained solid experience in the glass industry and is at the top of the La Plaine Saint-Denis glassworks, he is doing everything to develop the company. He begins by having new factories built as well as a workers' housing estate.
Over the years, the Legras factories have become a vast industrial complex of approximately 20,000 square meters.
-------When the glassworks of La Plaine Saint-Denis becomes 'Legras et Cie'
With his incredible career, François Théodore Legras was appointed CEO of the Verrerie de La Plaine Saint-Denis. It will thus gain another corporate name and become: 'Legras et Cie'.
The company's headquarters is located on Avenue de Paris, Saint-Denis, while the warehouses are situated at 22 bis, rue de Paradis, Saint-Denis. The company manufactures series of utilitarian works, often in Nil green.
Colorful pieces and luxury products from Legras are in no way inferior to those of renowned glassmakers and crystal manufacturers like Baccarat and Meisenthal.
The décors of each Legras production are usually edged in gold and have rather classic shapes.
In continuous evolution, Legras and Cie acquired in 1902 nine large fusion furnaces equipped with twelve crucibles, and another furnace with eight crucibles. The latter is exclusively intended for producing colored glasses, while the first ones are used daily.
The company employs more than 1,400 people, including tailors, bouchers, decorative artists, engravers, draftsmen, and glassworkers…
Legras and Cie glassworks produced glass items for chemistry, pharmacy, bottling, decorated novelty articles (vases, planters, bowls…), utility articles, and tableware sets…
Just like the Portieux and Vallerysthal crystal works, Legras glassware produced sublime pieces of colored glass. Most of its works evoke the beauty of nature, featuring landscapes, flowers, or wildlife as decorations.
François Théodore Legras: one of the names behind the founding of Art Nouveau.
Producing extraordinarily eclectic works, François Théodore Legras stands out for his great versatility. From blown glasses to enameled glasses, he experiments with all techniques of glassmaking.
He was capable of working with the most complex method of glassmaking, which has made the Daum crystal factory famous: the pâte de verre technique.
With a variety of works featuring diverse décors and shapes, Legras was able to win the hearts of art enthusiasts of his time and meet the needs of a varied clientele.
Legras draws inspiration from nature to give its productions beautiful decoration. The favorite themes of our master glassmaker range from chrysanthemums to irises, including orchids.
With such inspiration, François Théodore Legras was invited by Emile Gallé, the Daum brothers, and René Lalique (founder of the Lalique crystal factory in 1888) to co-found the Art Nouveau movement. This is an artistic style inspired by nature, highlighting curved forms.
The philosophy of Art Nouveau was to produce beauty, affordably, for an art accessible to all.
Art Nouveau experienced great success from the late 19th century to the early 20th century (1880–1910), making way for the new artistic movement, Art Deco. Unlike Art Nouveau, the latter draws inspiration from geometric lines (symmetry, complex lines, aerodynamic curves...).
The fate of the Legras glassworks
When François Théodore Legras took the helm of the glassworks of La Plaine Saint-Denis, he changed his fate. Over the years, the factory gradually grew until it became the most important glassmaking brand of the Art Nouveau period in the Parisian region.
The reputation of the Legras glassworks is now approaching that of the greatest establishments such as Gallé, Muller frères, Daum, and Saint-Louis, and extends beyond the borders of the country.
The company participates in several national and international exhibitions where it is often awarded, to cite only the gold medal at the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition and the 6th Grand Prix at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition.
The death of François Théodore Legras on August 2, 1916, in Paris at the age of 76, and the First World War mark the end of the peak of Legras's production.
The Legras descendants ensured the company's growth until 1919. That year, the Legras and Cie glassworks was sold to the grandson, Théodore Legras. He directed the business into the new fashionable style known as Art Deco.
Producing works in a fashionable and highly sought-after style, the company maintains its prosperity. Around 1928/1930, the glassworks Legras and Cie was acquired by the group 'Verrier Lyonnais Souchon-Neuvesel' (the current BSN), which chose to keep the name Legras.
In 1925, the glassworks was again purchased by the 'Verrerie et Cristallerie des Quatre Chemins'.
What are the price and signature of genuine Legras vases?
To acquire a vase worth around €1,000, it is best to avoid counterfeits. To do this, you should first verify the signature on the piece.
When his son Charles Legras took over the Legras glassworks, various signatures could be seen on Legras works: 'Pantin,' 'Legras,' 'Leg,' or even 'Legras Cie St-Denis.'
Furthermore, it should be noted that Legras vases are made of glass, not pâte de verre as is frequently indicated.
To admire the art of François Théodore Legras, you can visit the Musée d'Hennezel-Clairey and revisit the epic of this industrialist through a wide range of Legras's production.
Legras-themed bottles
François Théodore Legras was also known for his decorative bottles. These were bottles decorated with various themes such as the characters of the Third Republic, Joan of Arc, the Eiffel Tower, or Napoleon.
Some Legras-themed bottles occasionally appear on the art market, notably the old Legras subject bottle with two faces, one of a woman and the other of a man (1900), the Legras subject bottle 'Hand Holding a Bottle' (19th century), or the Legras subject bottle 'The Mill' (19th century).