Lalique

Sculpted in Light: The Glass Statuettes of René Lalique

26 October 2026

Joy McCall

Discover the beauty and symbolism of René Lalique’s glass statuettes, where light, mythology and the female form come together. From mysterious veiled figures to elegant classical nudes, we explore three remarkable designs from 1919 and the artistry behind these captivating works.

The catalogue raisonne lists 39 statuettes designed by René Lalique between 1912 and 1939. All of these feature women with one the exception of Enfant that depicts a putti-like baby. Three statuettes were designed in 1912 - Figurine avec Guirlande de Fruits and the Moyenne Nue and Moyenne Voilée, whilst the majority were conceived after the First World War and during the 1920s. It is only Chrysis and the Saisons that were designed in the 1930s.

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René Lalique's Mastery of Glass

The statuettes reveal Lalique’s talents as a sculptor, but rather than working with traditional materials, he embraced the modern medium of glass, exploring its remarkable potential. He played with the reflective, transparent, opaque, and varying densities of the glass to great effect especially when the works were in opalescent, amber or butterscotch. The advantages of sculpture in glass are that the translucency creates an ethereal presence, and the play of light means that the piece is always changing as its surrounding light inevitably alters.

Three statuettes designed in 1919 offer a fascinating insight into Lalique’s approach.

The Art of Glass: Three Lalique Statuettes from 1919

RENÉ LALIQUE (1860-1945)

VOILÉE MAINS JOINTES STATUETTE, NO. 828

designed 1919

clear, frosted and grey stained

engraved R. Lalique and Lalique

The statuette is, in essence, a two-sided figure. The veiled woman stands with clasped hands within an overall lozenge or coffin-like form, supported on a circular base. There is a timeless ambiguity surrounding her identity – is she a saint or a spiritual figure paying homage? Is she a grieving widow or, in fact, the deceased? Could she be a bride or perhaps a temptress in slightly diaphanous clothes? Questions abound and perhaps that is the point of the figure, there is paradox and multiplicity about her. Ingeniously she served audiences on a variety of levels with broad appeal as is the case still.

RENÉ LALIQUE (1860-1945)

GRANDE NUE SOCLE LIERRE FIGURINE, NO. 836

designed 1919

clear and frosted, on a stained wood base

engraved R. Lalique

In contrast, here we have a timeless nude. She is elevated on an integral base moulded in low relief with ivy leaves, which in turn is held within a carved, stained wood mount. This is one of Lalique’s taller figures. She stands with one arm raised, partially concealing her face, while the other crosses her chest. Her long, cascading hair sweeps down around her body.

Is this a temptress or a victim? Is this innocence, regret or shame? Are we, the audience, being drawn in as a welcomed spectator or the intruding voyeur? Perhaps the answer is that all of these are possibilities and Lalique enjoyed creating a figure with Symbolist ambiguity and layers of contradictory interpretations.

RENÉ LALIQUE (1860-1945)

GRANDE OVALE JOUEUSE DE FLUTE STATUETTE, NO. 826

designed 1919

clear, frosted, blue and grey stained, and a later base

wheel-engraved R. LALIQUE

The third figure is different again. This two-sided work depicts a woman dressed in similar attire to the Voilée Mains Jointes figure. This time, however, she is shown playing a flute, framed by a floral arch and elevated on a domical floreat form.

Although the work is titled flute player, the instrument is in fact an aulos. In Greek mythology, Athena has sometimes been credited with its invention. However, distressed by the way playing the instrument distorted her face, she discarded it, leaving it to be discovered by the satyr Marsyas. In a more common version of the myth, Marsyas is credited with inventing the instrument and later challenges Apollo to a musical contest, which he ultimately loses. As a great admirer of women, Lalique’s choice of a female figure is perhaps unsurprising, while his references to classical mythology reflect another enduring source of inspiration throughout his work.

From Car Mascots to Decorative Sculpture

Lalique went on to design other figures, including Sirène and Naïade in 1920, both of which are perhaps best known today as car mascots. Vitesse and Chrysis, designed in 1929 and 1931 respectively, are further examples of his celebrated mascot designs.

It would difficult to talk of Lalique’s statuettes without mentioning Source de la Fontaine series of figures designed in 1924 which appeared at the Paris Exposition of 1925, as well as the two figures of Suzanne and Thais, both of whom were designed in 1925.

Lalique was a master glass maker who excelled in creating functional items of both exceptional quality and artistry. However, his statuettes stand apart. Free from any practical purpose, they were created purely as decorative works of art, allowing Lalique to explore the sculptural possibilities of glass.

Specialist

Joy McCall

Associate Director, Senior Design Specialist

Department