Rene Lalique

Question 1

When was Rene Lalique born ?

Answer 1

1860

Question 2

When did Rene Lalique die ?

Answer 2

1945

Question 3

Where was Rene originally from ?

Answer 3

France

Question 4

What happened to Rene when he was 16 ?

Answer 4

He got an apprenticeship with the Parisian jeweller, Louis Aucoc.

Question 5

Where did Rene move to in 1878 and what for ?

Answer 5

He moved to London to attend Sydenham Art College.

Question 6

How long was Rene at the Sydenham Art College ?

Answer 6

Till 1880.

Question 7

What did Rene mainly focus on ?

Answer 7

jewellery within the art nouveau and art deco time period

Question 8

What was one of his major influences ?

Answer 8

natural and women forms which would be the focal point of his pieces.

Question 9

What was Rene a strong believer in ?

Answer 9

handcraft products instead of mass produced items.

Question 10

What are the 2 designs did you look at ?

Answer 10

‘Dragonfly Woman’ and ‘The Cockerel Diadem’

Question 11

When were Rene designs made ?

Answer 11

both made in 1897-1898

Question 12

What materials did Rene often use ?

Answer 12

enamel, gold and animal horn

Question 13

What types of materials did Rene use ?

Answer 13

variety of semi-precious and precious materials

Question 14

In terms of Rene’s ‘Cockeral Diadem’, what was the cost of the materials which he used ?

Answer 14

very expensive materials that some of them were inaccessible in the UK, so they had to be imported in.

Question 15

What did Rene use the diamonds for in the ‘Cockeral Diadem’?

Answer 15

To create a feather texture for the wings.

Question 16

What material did he use in the Cockeral Diadem to add a hint of colour ?

Answer 16

turquoise enamel

Question 17

What was the main focal point of the Cockeral Diadem ?

Answer 17

The cockerel head with the amethyst stone for inside the cockerels beak.

Question 18

Why are Rene’s very high-priced materials appropriate for the styles he is trying to convey?

Answer 18

They are extremely intricate and decorative which was a main trend within the art nouveau time period.

Question 19

Rene’s Cockeral Diadem was handcrafted, therefore what does that say about his techniques ?

Answer 19

They were quite complex.

Question 20

What techniques did he use in both of his designs ?

Answer 20

‘plique a jour’ technique

Question 21

What did he use the ‘plique a jour’ technique for in the Cockeral Diadem ?

Answer 21

When he was filling the flat areas with turquoise green enamel.

Question 22

What effect does the single layered wirework have on the Cockeral Diadem ?

Answer 22

create a delicate cage like effects.

Question 23

What did Rene use on the Cockeral Diadem to make different thicknesses along with hand-carved animal horn ?

Answer 23

Easy moulding gold

Question 24

How effective was the use of the mould gold and animal horn on the Cockeral Diadem ?

Answer 24

extremely effective because of the amount of elaborate fine detail as well as the tactile texture.

Question 25

What effect does the subtle tones have on the Cockeral Diadem ?

Answer 25

Effectively give the broaches a organic feel

Question 26

What was happening at the same time when Rene was making the broaches ?

Answer 26

the industrial revolution

Question 27

What was happening during the industrial revolution in terms of mass production ?

Answer 27

mass production was a substantial industry where traditional pieces of art where being copied and then sold cheaper so that working class people could afford to have these items.

Question 28

How did Rene feel about the industrial revolution ?

Answer 28

The industrial revolution only made Lalique furious and he revolted against mass productions so his work was all good quality handcraftsmanship.

Question 29

What was Rene culturally influenced by ?

Answer 29

His work was culturally influenced by eastern art, craftsmanship and high quality items

Question 30

What do we have to take into account so that a product will sell and make a profit ?

Answer 30

its function and ergonomics of the product

Question 31

What is meant by ergonomics ?

Answer 31

how it sits on the body, what size it is, is it lightweight and will it stay on.

Question 32

What did Rene have to focus on when making the Dragonfly ?

Answer 32

The balance of the broach so that if someone put it on it would stay the right way up instead of tilting, as well as the size of the pin to clip into onto the clothing, it had to be quite big so that it could be attached to a thick piece of clothing (e.g. wool).The product has to be attractive and eye-catching so aesthetics are important whether you want you’re product to be a one-off, elegant detailed piece or you want it to be vibrant, decorative or dynamic. The production methods have to be stable and safe.

Question 33

Who did Rene target his designs at ?

Answer 33

Targeted at high class, wealthy women who were interested in fashion.