French glass artist Emile Gallé (1846-1904) was a key figure of French Art Nouveau, the decorative arts movement that became popular during the late 19th century.

Captivated by Japanese aesthetics and inspired by botany and biology, Emile Gallé used natural organic forms drawn from nature, oceanography and sea ecology. By experimenting with technique, he created colorful and detailed works, usually with the central motifs of plants, insects, animals or sea life. The pieces produced by his company were famous for their beautiful forms, rich colour palettes and inspired decoration.

Gallé was passionated for botany. In his garden, he employed expert gardeners to care for between 2500 and 3000 varieties of plants. Immersed in this wealth of natural beauty, he studied plants with meticulous care, paying close attention to their evolution and life cycles.

On display in this exhibition POLA Museum of Art (Tokio) are works inspired by forests and marine life. A total of 130 vases, jugs and other vessels — comprising 60 from the Pola Museum of Art collection and 70 from other Galle collections in Japan — have been brought together with works by artists of the same era, including Claude Monet and Odilon Redon. The artist remains very popular in Japan, with many of his works kept in the collections of Japanese museums.

CLICK HERE and enjoy a complete explanation of the exhibit, with a dozen of pictures of Gallé’s works displayed currently displayed in the Tokio exhibition.