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Charles Schneider

French, 1881-1953

The Schneider Glassworks (Verreries Schneider), established by brothers Charles and Ernest Schneider in Epinay-sur-Seine, France, in 1917, was among the leading producers of fine-art glass between the two world wars, creating exuberantly colorful vessels and lighting fixtures in both the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. The factory’s highpoint was the 1920s, when it created iconic chandeliers and exquisitely decorated cameo glass vases that are still in high demand today.

Born in the last quarter of the 19th century in Château-Thierry, near Paris, Charles and Ernest Schneider moved with their family at a young age to Nancy, a major center of Art Nouveau design, particularly known for glass. Among the city’s master makers was the crystal studio Daum, where both brothers worked at the turn of the 20th century, Ernest in sales, and Charles receiving training in the engraving and decoration workshop, while concurrently learning drawing and modeling with Henri Bergé and attending the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy. In 1904, he enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, in Paris, where he studied painting and metal engraving and regularly showed in the engraving section of the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français, twice receiving a prize.

Around 1912 the brothers and their friend, architect Henri Wolf, bought a small glass factory specializing in lightbulbs, renaming it Schneider Frères et Wolff. The partners enticed a group of about 20 workers from the Daum workshop to join the company, which produced high-quality cameo vases and lamps until the outbreak of World War I, in 1914, when Charles, Ernest and most of the workers were called up to fight. The Schneiders were demobbed in 1917 and reopened the factory, initially making practical glassware for hospitals. After the war, to fund their reentry into the art-glass market, they sold shares in the company, now named the Société Anonyme des Verreries Schneider. The success of the elegant drinking glasses and Art Nouveau-style cameo vases they produced allowed the brothers to buy back the shares, at which point they renamed the factory Verreries Schneider.

When a fire destroyed the Gallé studios in 1918, the Schneiders offered space to a group of the company’s artists so they could continue production. In return, they taught Charles marqueterie de verre. Similar to wood marquetry, this process involves cutting sections out of a glass surface and filling them with pieces of a contrasting color. In 1921, Schneider trademarked his technique for making cameo glass lamps and vases — exemplified in this piece from the early 1920s — which he signed “Le Verre Français” or “Charder,” the latter perhaps a portmanteau combining his first and last names. These works were popular and sold well at France’s top department stores, including Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marché. More elaborate, one-of-a-kind pieces from the studio were signed “Schneider” and offered at Paris art galleries like Au Vase Etrusque and Delvaux.

The Schneiders participated in the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne in Paris, at which Charles was a member of the jury. The company was at its peak, expanding both its design repertoire and the number of workers, to 500. During this period, it began moving away from the organic shapes of Art Nouveau to the more geometric designs of Art Deco, with some pieces embodying a kind of transitional style, such as this chandelier. Charles also began experimenting with pigmented powders, fine crushed glass mixed with metal oxides, which yielded brilliant, iridescent colors when applied to a glass surface.

A large portion of the factory’s art glass production was sold in the United States. When the U.S. stock market crashed in 1929, demand was all but obliterated, and the company struggled to stay afloat throughout the 1930s. Ernest died in 1937, and during World War II, the factory was seized by German troops and used as a canteen. In 1950, Charles and his son set up a new factory called Cristalleries Schneider in Epinay-sur-Seine, which for several years produced free-blown glass vases, small sculptures and lighting fixtures to some acclaim. Charles Schneider died in 1952, and the factory eventually closed in 1981.

Average Sold Price
$3,420
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Materials
Related Creators
Charles Schneider Art Deco Centerpiece in Glass
By Charles Schneider
Located in Tilburg, NL
Great centerpiece in glass by 'Verreries Schneider'. Charles and Ernest Schneider, Epinay-sur-Seine, France, early 20th century. A collector's item made by one of the masters of Fren...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Charles Schneider

Materials

Art Glass

Art Deco Vase Jade Larmes by Charles Schneider
By Charles Schneider
Located in Miami, FL
Art Deco glass vase by Charles Schneider in jade colored glass with black-tear like applications and base. Signature: Schneider
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Charles Schneider

Materials

Glass

Art Deco Vase Jade Larmes by Charles Schneider
Art Deco Vase Jade Larmes by Charles Schneider
Free Shipping
H 9.5 in Dm 6.5 in
Art Deco Bijoux Glass Vase by Charles Schneider
By Charles Schneider
Located in Miami, FL
Art Deco Bijoux size Flute shaped Light Bleu glass vase with Deep Blue details on the foot base. Signature: Schneider
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Charles Schneider

Materials

Glass

Art Deco Bijoux Glass Vase by Charles Schneider
Art Deco Bijoux Glass Vase by Charles Schneider
Free Shipping
H 7.75 in Dm 3.25 in
Art Deco Bijoux Glass Vase by Charles Schneider
By Charles Schneider
Located in Miami, FL
Art Deco Bijoux size Flute shaped Light Bleu glass vase with Deep Blue details on the foot base. Signature: Schneider
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Charles Schneider

Materials

Glass

Pair of French Art Deco Sconces signed by Schneider
By Charles Schneider
Located in Long Island City, NY
A stunning pair of French Art Deco sconces were created by the French artist " Charles Schneider " in great condition. Each shade is marked SCHNEIDER FRANCE 1108 as shown on the last...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Charles Schneider

Materials

Bronze

Le verre français "Pavots" art deco vessel by Charles Schneider
By Charles Schneider, Le Verre Francais
Located in Aachen, DE
A nice Le verre français "Pavots" (Poppy) art deco vessel by Charles Schneider made in Épinay-sur-Seine, in France ca. 1925. A powder mottled overlay g...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Charles Schneider

Materials

Art Glass, Blown Glass

Charles Schneider Le Verre Français Art Deco Desk / Table Lamp, 1919-1923
By Charles Schneider, Le Verre Francais
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
French Art Deco desk / table lamp by Charles Schneider (Epinay-sur-Seine, Paris) for LE VERRE FRANCAIS line, France, 1919-1923. This blown molded glass shade made by Charles Schneide...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Charles Schneider

Materials

Bronze

Charles Schneider / Le Verre Francais - Art Déco 'Azurettes' Night Light
By Charles Schneider
Located in South Gippsland, Victoria
An Art Déco Charles Schneider / Le Verre Francais cameo glass night-light mounted on a wrought iron base with three foliate feet. The sky-blue mottled ground overlaid with cobalt blu...
Category

1920s Art Deco Vintage Charles Schneider

Materials

Art Glass

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Creators Similar to Charles Schneider

Charles Schneider furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Charles Schneider furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Charles Schneider furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Charles Schneider were created in the Art Deco style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Marius-Ernest Sabino, Cartier, and Le Verre Français. Prices for Charles Schneider furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $427 and can go as high as $120,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,400.

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