Paul Nicolas is a graduate of the Ecole de Nancy. A student of Emile Gallé, he joined the company in 1894 after a brief period with the architect Charles André. In 1919, he created his own company with three artists from Gallé: Pierre Mercier, Emile Villermaux and Eugène Henri Windeck and the support of the Cristalleries de Saint-Louis.

He produced, against the tastes of the time, Art Nouveau glassware close to the industrial series of the Gallé establishments still in operation. The whites are produced in Saint Louis, while the acid etching is done in Nancy, in his workshop.

He first signed his work "d'Argental", then from the end of the 1920's, with his name, "P. Nicolas", adding from time to time the mention "Nancy" and sometimes the Cross of Lorraine.

The style of Paul Nicolas evolves with time. The works signed "d'Argental" are typical of the Nancy School, then gradually depart from it, in particular by showing the influence of art deco.

The works signed "P. Nicolas", which are therefore later, show the personal research of the artist towards the stylization, as well as towards techniques highlighting the crystal, the only material on which he works until the Second World War. At the end of the war, unable to obtain crystal from Saint-Louis, he worked in glass until his death in 1952. During his career, he used all the techniques of glass and crystal work: enameling, acid etching, wheel etching, wheel cutting, hot applications, intercalary decoration...