École de Nancy, or the Nancy School, was the spearhead of the Art Nouveau in France whose inspiration was essentially in plant forms ginkgo, pennywort, giant hogweed, water lily, thistle, gourd and animals such as dragonflies. This alliance was based on research in the extensive use of glass, iron, steel and wood to put the beautiful in the hands of all and thus bring art into people's homes.
The founders define the School of Nancy as the "provincial alliance of the industries of art, sort of union of the industrial ones of art and artists decorators, striving to constitute in province, for the defence and the development of the industrial interests, workers and commercial of the country, environments of teaching and of culture in favour of the blooming of the industries of art".
Their goal was to enhance the prestige of Lorraine, a region rich in many industries (steel, etc.) and crafts (crystal, cabinetmaking, glass work, bronze art, earthenware and ceramic) to filter the patriotic sentiment resulting from the immigration of many French originating in Alsace and the current Moselle which both had been incorporated into the German Empire since the War of 1870. The Nancy school wanted to make itself a total art by the collaboration of all the bodies of trades (architecture, furniture, decorative arts).
Members of the School have distinguished themselves in many fields including the architecture, glassware, crystal, stained glass, metalwork, cabinet, wallpaper, typography, printing, bookbinding. Other includes embroidery (Fernand Courteix), goldsmith (André Kauffer), design, poster and photography.