Max Ingrand

Max Ingrand, full name Maurice Max-Ingrand, was a renowned French artist, decorator, and master glassmaker born in Bressuire in 1908 and died in Paris in 1969. He received his artistic education at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, studying under Jacques Grüber and Charles Lemaresquier. Early in his career, Ingrand gained recognition for his engraved glass works and stained glass windows, exhibiting with his wife Paulette Rouquié at the Société des artistes décorateurs in 1931.

He is best known for his stained glass creations for churches, including his first church windows for Sainte-Agnès in Maisons-Alfort and his participation in the 1937 project for the stained glass of Notre-Dame de Paris. After World War II, during which he was a prisoner of war, Ingrand was commissioned to replace 47 destroyed windows at Notre-Dame Cathedral. His work extended to many other churches and historic monuments in France, such as the cathedrals of Rouen, Beauvais, Saint-Malo, and Strasbourg, as well as international projects.

Beyond artistic glass, Max Ingrand served as artistic director for over a decade at the Italian company FontanaArte, where he designed iconic lighting fixtures that became landmarks of 20th-century design. In 1968, he founded Verre Lumière, one of the first companies to produce halogen lamps, and was president of the Association Française de l’Éclairage. His career was honored with prestigious awards, including the Legion of Honor. Max Ingrand is regarded as one of the most important French master glassmakers and designers of the twentieth century.