JP sent me a fabulous Art Nouveau style figural table lamp with a nude woman supported by a peacock. The outstretched arm of the woman holds the light fixture. A globe shape, encrusted with jewel like crystals, glows when lit. JP wonders if this is “something.”
In the history of lighting design, well, YES, it IS something. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the era of Art Nouveau in Europe, early lamp makers focused on semi nude nubile females as the subject and ‘holders of the light’ for the newfangled “lamp” thing.
Art Nouveau High Point for Naturalistic Lines
The Art Nouveau period became a high point for naturalistic, organic, NON-geometrical lines. The period loved the exoticism of the female nude, AND the association with the nude to nature. Oftentimes lamp makers included a BRONZE of the nude with a certain type of shade. For example, a Nautilus shell, or a bronze shade, encased with pinpoints of jewels, such as in JP’s lamp. Reasons for this ranged from a way to celebrate the beauty of the nude in a tasteful, novel way with new electric lights, to celebrating electricity by “illuminating” the ability to showcase the nubile female.
One such lamp sold from the bar of the Adams Mark Hotel, a semi-nude bronze figure that channeled electricity. A bronze elegantly fraped figure held TWO lanterns in miniature, lighted by bulbs. This served a few purposes, the patrons, all males, admired her form, and the dark bar needed light.
In the Art Nouveau period the collision between the modern world of technology and the old world of beautiful sculpture resulted in excessive elements of design and MONEY. Only the very wealthy afforded a lamp, and indeed only the wealthy afforded electricity in their homes or businesses. I find it amusing that the people who had such lighting preferred to use the semi-naked female form as the “lamp base!”
An Original Lamp?
JP asked if her lamp appears original to the period. I don’t believe it “period” (1900-1925) Art Nouveau, but a later copy from the 1980’s when for some reason we saw a resurgence in the US. Her lamp is “after” the design by Maurice Wolfer (Belgian 1886-1976). When I say “after” I mean someone got hold of the mold or a lamp from 1910 by Wolfers. They made a plaster cast, cast the lamp in bronze to sell on 1980’s market. Yes, so few copyright issues existed in that period, so people got away with it.
Some artists modeled the most notable lamps of the period on the great beauties of the age, 1900-1925. The actress Loie Fuller (1901) inspired by the lamp maker and sculpture Larch. Fuller is reenacting a famous stage roll, of course semi-nude, and holding a globe lighted in this small table lamp, and such a thing sells for $4,000.
Another highly valued lamp, a famous beauty of the age holding aloft a nautilus shell, the shade, will sell for $4,000.
One of the most interesting techniques of the era made the light bulb itself part of the erotica. In some cases, the semi-nude holds a light bulb encased in a shell or encased in a globe in her hand, but the most inventive of all the techniques showed the light ‘glow up’ inside her skirts. Not HER skirts, but the bronze of the nude’s skirts showing both her form, her legs, et al, and allowing the peep show to become an actual LAMP. Such a lamp done in 1910 by the lamp maker and sculptor Laport-Blairsy, shows a wonderfully semi clothed actress, playing a Classical role, draped in Grecian flowing robes. When the actress is caught spinning on stage, the Grecian robes swirls outward. Thus, this outward arch of her robes makes the PERFECT shade for the 1910 light bulb! A lamp like this will also sell for $4,000-5,000.
JP’s lamp, a 1980’s recast, is STILL valuable, but at $500, a far cry from the original in 1910 at $4,000.
Good day.
I read your article with interest. However, it seems to contain errors: The original lamp does not come from “Maurice Wolfers” (surely you mean “Marcel”?!) but from his father, the silversmith “Philippe Wolfers” – (1858-1929):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Wolfers
Marcel Wolfers never designed lamps like this and was just 12 – 16 years old at the height of Art Nouveau. Nevertheless, your article helped me to identify a copy of this lamp as such. Many thanks and best regards – Volker Fischer.