Léon Ledru (1855 -1926) French Glassmaker

This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.

Léon Ledru four colour centrepiece
Léon Ledru four colour centrepiece

Léon Ledru (1855-1926) was a French glassmaker and designer. He was the manager of the design department of the Cristalleries du Val-Saint-Lambert in Belgium for 38 years. Through the firm’s work at the 1897 Brussels ‘Exposition Internationale,’ he stimulated interest in avant-garde design.

Léon Ledru a Cortège des Musiciens cameo glass vase for Val St Lambert around 1900-1910
Léon Ledru a Cortège des Musiciens cameo glass vase for Val St Lambert around 1900-1910

Reflecting Henry van de Velde’s influence, the crystal factory’s vases, also shown at the 1901 exhibition of La Libre Esthetique, Brussels, were distinctly Modern. Pieces that he exhibited at the 1900 Paris ‘Exposition Universelle’ had floral decoration in a more naturalistic style, much like the work of the École de Nancy and Émile Gallé. Though he designed traditional pieces, Ledru is known for his innovations in technique, colour, and decoration, brought about by his long association with Val-Saint-Lambert chemist Aldolphe Lecrenier.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

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