Jean-Claude Novaro
(French, 1943-2014)
“The most difficult thing is to create simple things because when you try to overdo them they do not turn out good.
It’s the same with life; don’t make it too complicated.”
— Jean-Claude Novaro
A sheer, translucent beauty shines in the world-renowned creations of Jean-Claude Novaro. Known as “The King of Glass” for his unsurpassed use of color and form, Novaro’s distinctive glass creations are highly prized and sought after by art connoisseurs all over the world. His hard-earned skills and artistic genius, combined with an unwavering drive and determination, have made him one of the premier glass artists of all time.
Born in Antibes, France in 1943, Jean-Claude Novaro was reared in the balmy Mediterranean village of Biot. It was at the early age of fourteen that Novaro began what would become a lifelong exploration of the art of glassblowing. Under the direction of glassmaker Eloi Monod, the young apprentice worked his way up the ranks to maître verrier, or master glassmaker, in only six years. During these earlier years, Novaro sold small glass animals to tourists for five and ten francs per piece, a price that barely paid for the gas necessary to fire the glass ovens.
In 1973, Novaro fulfilled a dream and opened his own fledgling glass factory in Biot. During this time, he began what he called his “adventure with color.” Using simple shapes at first made of any colored glass, even discarded perfume bottles or other bottled glass, he applied color to the surfaces of the pieces. The next stage in Novaro’s development of “form” was reached when he began to play with the molten glass as a malleable substance that could be stretched away from the wall and allowed to articulate the throat of the vessel. Finally, he explored techniques to make sense of the movement and positioning of the three-dimensional molten metal within the glass matrix. It took three to four years to master the technique of getting the colors inside the glass, but eventually Novaro fine-tuned his skills and artistic genius to become the master that he was.
In 1981, Novaro began creating small lamps that were lit both on the top and inside, from below. Later in his career, these lamps reappeared in larger brilliance, both in appearance and in size. The popularity of this glass creation was the start of the success that he needed. However, just as artistic acceptance and financial security loomed on the horizon, 1982 greeted him with disaster. Personal problems developed and he and his wife, Michele Luzzoro, divorced. A desire to grow further caused him to leave his beloved South of France and open a studio in Chatillon-sous-Bagneaux, a suburb of Paris.
The City of Lights, in combination with his unwavering drive and determination to move forward artistically, inspired Novaro to research new and inventive techniques. It was while he was in Paris that he gained media attention and created the first of his handled vases. However, the light and climate of the south of France that had also beckoned Van Gogh and Matisse brought him home. In
1983, he returned to Biot where his studio remained ever since.
Once again settled in Biot, Novaro experimented in form, scale, technique, and – his primary interest – the potential of color in glass. Novaro concentrated on a larger, more open, and freer style. He created large sculptures during this time, never deterred by the enormity of the piece, the weight of the glass, or the problems that might arise from the mixture in those creations. From 1986 to 1988, Novaro created many landscape vases and gold-glass vases that mirror his beloved natural world. The artist discovered a method in which he could capture the gold and glass mixture in order to keep the shape of the glass and to preserve the gold while he works on the piece. Because of the difference in melting points between gold and glass, this technique is tricky to master and took Novaro years.
Novaro continued to expand his craftmanship throughout the next few decades. He produced many pieces including museum and “black” vases, translucent and crystal pieces, larger lamps, and luminescent vases. In 1991, he began creating his “pouring” vases that were inspired by Caesar’s liquid sculptures. Novaro injected his carefree spirit into much of his work, especially his free form sculptures. A sense of play can be felt when viewing his sculpted dolls, figures that come to life while playing cards, forming bands with instruments in hand, and playing games of chess on an all-glass board.
An introduction to the North American art market began in 1993, with American Fine Art Editions, Inc. as his exclusive representative. This relationship continued to grow with displays of Novaro’s work at the New York Art Expo in 1994 and events at the gallery, including “A Novaro Retrospective of Fifteen Years of Mastery in Art Glass.” A state of the art glass studio was built to Novaro’s own specifications right in Old Town Scottsdale to house the master glassblower and create masterpieces for the world to enjoy.
Many in the art-collecting world cherish Novaro’s work. His pieces are on display proudly in three of the finest restaurants in the world: Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Maximin’s at Vence, and Bruno’s in the village of Lorgues, France. Among his collectors are well-known figures including Prince Albert II of Monaco, Khalid Al Qassimi, Robert De Niro, Frank Sinatra, Bill Cosby, Mike Tyson, and Jean Reno. In 2002, Novaro was commissioned by the Nice Civil Aviation Authority to create a glasswork for the arrivals lounge at the Nice Airport. In 2011, Novaro signed an exclusive three-year deal with RAK Ceramics in the United Arab Emirates to create a Luminous range of designs. To celebrate his arrival, more than 1000 of Novaro's precious handblown pieces were on display at the Royal Treasures Gallery in Dubai. Novaro was also entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest handblown coupe ever made.
Novaro is a master with the blowpipe. The designs and blueprints for his creations were stored in his advanced mind. Perhaps the reason for the uniqueness in Novaro’s work is the use of his protected hands to shape the molten glass. Novaro did not cool and shape his glass on a marver, a slab of steel or marble. He used wet newspapers to guide and form his artwork. The coolness of the wet papers absorbed the heat of the glass, yet his hands were allowed free reign in the shaping of his art form. He was an artist of the purest kind, taking the sole responsibility of every piece. Jean-Claude Novaro worked alone with his glass, blowpipe, and ovens, assisted only by his gifted artistic vision and his brother Roger.
Serge Lechaczynski, speaking of Novaro’s passion, once said “It is unclear- and difficult to say who really possesses who; the artist or the glass.” The same can be applied to the viewer and Novaro’s glasswork; beneath the smooth textured surface of his vases lay secret upon secret, capturing its audience in the depth and layering effect of the colors and gold. The uniqueness of Novaro’s work is a direct reflection of his desire to master the glass in his own inventive way. Up until his death on December 30, 2014, in Monaco at the age of 72, he continued to create unique, hand-made masterpieces.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original glass works, sculptures, and paintings of Jean-Claude Novaro. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.