It is perhaps less well known for a hub of Art Nouveau, but Nancy had a burgeoning scene before the First World War. The focus was on furniture (below right a desk and chair by Eugène Vallin), but the city is also known for its Art Nouveau architecture (below left is the Chambre of Commerce). The Ecole de Nancy got its start at the Exposition Universelle of 1889 and petered out by 1909.
The ’Musée d’Ecole de Nancy’ provides a view of the most important local artists. Émile Gallé was a businessman cooperating with artists, but designing piecdes himself, too (a settee by him below left). As was usual, the aim was often an artistic whole, where every piece fit together to form a harmonious ensemble (below right, a dining room by Eugène Vallin and Victor Prouvé).
By 1910, the Art Nouveau started to become simplified and more geometric, and the First World War interrupted all developments, until the Art Deco exhibition in 1925. Below are some more furniture ensembles, created by several artists of the Ecole de Nancy.
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