The Decorative Arts

This global artistic movement, which has become essential, draws its inspiration from nature and its harmonious curves, full of grace and arabesques. Fauna and flora take precedence over the austere forms inherited from the industrial age, breathing new life into art which celebrates them brilliantly. Plant diversity becomes an inexhaustible source of inspiration: marsh plants like water lilies, large trees such as alder, birch or oak, flowers of the undergrowth like the Turk's cap lily, columbine or lily of the valley, not to mention garden plants. All these species nourish the imagination of the time. Decorative Arts are celebrated in this return to nature, which also finds an echo in the discovery of Japanese art. Art Nouveau merges floral and vegetal worlds, while respecting scientific advances. Its techniques and decorations prove inventive and diversify throughout the golden age of the movement. Internationally, this trend takes root in England, within the Arts & Crafts movement of the 1860s. It arises from a need to revalue British craftsmanship and working-class labor, as well as a desire to create utilitarian objects with a true artistic dimension.

Art Nouveau 1891 First Art Studio World Expo The School of Nancy 1920 Paul Daum reinvents 1925 Beginning of Art Deco Art Nouveau Interpretation Interpretation of Art Deco
Art Nouveau
Nancy, the origin city of the Daum House in eastern France, is the French capital of Art Nouveau and brings together numerous artistic talents and entrepreneurs. The city benefited from a massive influx of artists following the annexation of Alsace and part of Moselle. This globally significant movement drew inspiration from nature and its harmonious curves and arabesques. Fauna and flora took precedence over the impoverished forms of the industrial age, breathing new life into art which largely celebrated them. In France: The 1890s marked the beginning of Art Nouveau in France, a movement that flourished for over 25 years and ended on the eve of the First World War.
1891 First Art Studio
In 1891, the Daum brothers inaugurated their first art department/workshop, intended to be the cradle of collaborations between artists and artisans of the time. Key figures of the Art Nouveau period emerged there, such as Gruber, who propelled glassmaking into the art industry, Berger, and Almaric Walter, who developed the pâte de verre technique for the first time.
World Expo
The 1900 World's Fair represents the culmination of the artistic expression of Art Nouveau. Émile Gallé, Antonin Daum, Louis Majorelle, among others, participated in this true artistic revolution. Daum was the first company to adorn light with glass and to reveal the beauty and transparency of colored glass by presenting the first lamps that clothed the electric light bulb in glass – a true innovation.
The School of Nancy
In 1896, Émile Gallé first used the term "École de Nancy" to describe the "unique phenomenon of daring and the pursuit of perfection." This new artistic movement and school led to encounters between architects, glassmakers, cabinetmakers, blacksmiths, and painters, who were inspired by the curves, stems, vines, volutes, undulations, and expressions of femininity of Art Nouveau.
1920 Paul Daum reinvents
In the 1920s and 1930s, Daum embraced Art Deco with elegance. Shapes became more structured, patterns more stylized. The glass was adorned with geometric designs, clean lines, and bold contrasts. This period marks a transition towards a more modern aesthetic, where formal rigor elevates the material.
1925 Beginning of Art Deco
Around 1910, geometric forms and symmetry gradually infiltrated the Decorative Arts. The movement flourished especially in the interwar period, and its founding date could be set in 1925 with the opening of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. Daum participated in the exhibition, affirming its major role in the renewal of French glassmaking. Under the direction of Paul Daum, it presented pieces of elegant modernism, combining the legacy of Art Nouveau with the refined geometric aesthetics of Art Deco.
Art Nouveau Interpretation
To honor the 140th anniversary of the Manufacture, Daum wanted to draw inspiration from its heritage and reinterpret the "Art Nouveau" style through two new collections: the Résonance lamps and the Empreinte vases.
Interpretation of Art Deco
Inheriting the Art Deco style, Maison Daum passionately reinterprets the major artistic movements that have marked its history. It celebrates modernity through sculptural creations where crystal becomes an architecture of light. The Gingko, Tulipe, and Rythme collections express this fascination with clean lines, geometric patterns, and the harmony of volumes.