Window Grille

Beginning in 1903 the Saint-Dizier foundry, following Guimard's sketches, produced cast iron ornaments for Guimard's architectural projects. Later, Guimard designed generic Art Nouveau cast iron works that the firm produced for sale to other architects. The intention of this mass-production, which seemed to defy the Art Nouveau principle of Gesamtkunstwerk, was to stabilize Guimard's income, but had the additional effect of disseminating his style. The cast iron window grille shown above is one such element and resembles other models in its use of symmetrical branching foliate forms. A 1935 catalog from the Saint-Dizier foundry includes designs by Guimard, suggesting that a market still existed for ironwork from Art Nouveau era.