Paul Nicolas Table Lamp With Butterflies And Willow Catkins

Table lamp composed of a multi-layered glass tulip with a rotating decoration of butterflies and willow catkins engraved in acid-etched cameo on a yellow background, and a tilting gilt bronze base. Very rare and beautiful decoration. Tulip signed D'Argental on the bottom. Art Nouveau period, 1920s.

Paul Nicolas was born in 1875 in Laval-sur-Vologne (Vosges). In 1888, his family left annexed Lorraine for Laxou after the Schnæbelé affair, choosing French nationality. His father founded a horticultural business there. Paul Nicolas studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy, developing a passion for drawing and botany, which he practiced with his brother Émile. In 1893, he was hired by Émile Gallé thanks to his talent as a draftsman. At Gallé, he learned all the trades related to glass, becoming a decorator, then a master glassmaker. He was introduced to the artistic circles of Nancy, spearheading Art Nouveau. At the same time, Paul Nicolas became involved in politics. In 1903, he became the youngest mayor in France at the age of 28, before resigning in 1905 to devote himself to his family and his profession. Mobilized during the First World War, he founded his own company, Les graveurs réunis, in 1919, then collaborated with the Cristalleries de Saint-Louis. He then signed his works D'Argental, often marked with a Cross of Lorraine. His workshop in Nancy enjoyed great success until the crisis of 1929. He then pursued a more solitary, but always innovative, career. In the 1930s, his style became more personal, influenced by Art Deco. He used a variety of techniques: enameling, acid etching, wheel etching, and intercalary decoration. After 1945, he worked with glass (no longer having access to Saint-Louis crystal) with the support of his friend Amalric Walter. He died in 1952, while still working.