Lucien Falize (1838- 1897) was French goldsmith and jeweller. He was active in Paris and son of Alexis Falize, father of Andre Falize. When his father retired in 1876, Lucien assumed directorship of the family business, Bapst et Falize. He attempted to expand the business by showing at 1878 Paris ‘Exposition Universelle’ and becoming partners with Germain Bapst. In 1892, the partnership was dissolved.
Box, Lucien Falize
Artistic Career
From c1880 until the turn of the century, distinctive pieces with fine goldwork and enamelling in a japoniste manner were produced by the firm known at the time as Bapst et Falize. In the 1890s, Lucien Hirtz (formerly with Bucheron) became an associate of Lucien Falize. The firm’s wares were shown at the 1878 Paris ‘Exposition Universelle.’ Neo-Renaissance jewellery in the manner of Hans Collaert was shown at the 1889 Paris ‘Exposition Universelle.’
Influences
Lucien Falize was deeply influenced by his trips to London in 1861 and 1862, where he went to the National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, and the Crystal Palace. He was struck by the Chinese, Indian, Assyrian and Egyptian exhibits. At the International Exhibition, he was impressed by the oriental lacquers, enamels, bronzes, prints and earthenware from the collection of Sir Rutherford Alcock.
Bangle Bracelet, Lucien Falize
Due to his connections to the company, Falize was unable to travel to Japan, but his love for the East started to manifest itself through his designs. Pendants, bracelets, necklaces, and brooches began to appear with a distinct Oriental influence. They were enamelled and packed with bold, opaque colours with delicate scenes of nature and animals. Lucien also visited the Campana collection at the Louvre, where he looked at a variety of items, inspired by the treasures of mediaeval, Renaissance, Assyrian, Egyptian, and Byzantine objects.
Opera Glasses, Lucien Falize, c.1885
Lucien was still making exquisite designs for public sale and private commissions until his death by a stroke in 1897. He was determined to make the Falize Jewelry House a commercial success, working with other well-established artists, such as Germain Bapst, with whom he was a partner from 1880 to 1892. He was a prolific writer and critic and frequently appeared in the decorative arts journals of the day under his nickname, ‘Monsieur Josse.’
Active in Union Centrale
Throughout his career, Lucien Falize was also profoundly active in the Union Centrale. He firmly believed in the value of providing potential designers with sufficient training and submitted plans for technical exhibits and donated working prototypes of chatelaines and bracelet electrotypes. Lucien joined his business in a variety of universal competitions and exhibitions and received several awards and honours during his career.
He was responsible for reviving the basse-taille (painting on translucent enamels over engraved decoration) technique, Lucien experimented with enamels and used cloisonne.
Source
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King.
Wikipedia contributors. (2020, December 15). Lucien Falize. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:48, December 19, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucien_Falize&oldid=994306429