Portrait of Emile Gallé
by PROUVÉ, Victor Emile, Oil on canvas, 150 x 98 cm
Prouv� represents his friend Emile Gall� working on a vase, surrounded by a few of his glassware and floral inspirations. As the designer of the objects produced by his firm, Gall� scrupulously verified and commented on each step of the process.
In this portrait, two physical characteristics of Gall� have been accentuated: his wide, airy forehead (traditionally a sign of intelligence), and his hands, particularly his left hand holding a vase (elongated, reminding us of Gall�’s manual profession). These characteristics transmit the idea that man’s social progress can be achieved through the combination of intellectual and manual labour.
“The ambience depicts the lyrical poetic spirit of Gall�, to which the treatment of light also contributes as an integrating element, forming a kind of halo behind the head of the subject.” (Quoted from the exhibition catalogue, Nancy, 1900).