Art Nouveau January 20-May 5, 2023
Jugendstil, Modernisme, Sezessionstil, Style des Vingt, Stile Nouille—What is known as the movement Art Nouveau in the United States, had many different names in different countries when it swept through Europe from the late 1880s to World War I. The term Art Nouveau derives its name from Siegfried Bing’s Maison de l’Art Nouveau, or “House of New Art,” gallery that brought new European arts and crafts to Paris. Bing and the movement itself was heavily influenced by Japanese motifs and the way Japanese artists were able to portray nature without outright copying its surface appearance. Art Nouveau emphasized line, nature, and beautiful ornaments and took on many forms, including graphic design, art glass, and architecture.
Opposite: Alphonse Mucha, Zodiac, 1896.
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Art Nouveau was expressed in
“Cherettes” or idealized young
both during his life and after his
the work of graphic designers
women who represented both
death. Perhaps most influential
during this era through posters,
the romanticized presentation
to Art Nouveau graphic design
shop signs, and lettering for
of women in mass media and
was
buildings. Given that these
a generation of French women
dominant theme was a central
forms of media are more easily
whose
and
female figure surrounded by
seen and accessible to the
lifestyle served as inspiration.
stylized forms derived from
public than the more elaborate
In this way, Cheret introduced
plants and flowers, Moravian
work of the new style, graphic
a new role model for women in
folk art, Byzantine mosaics,
design allowed Art Nouveau to
the late Victorian era.
and even the occult. The iconic
easily extend beyond national
A major contributor in the
work Job by Mucha was both
boundaries. For example, Art
foundation and promotion of
an embodiment of the Art
Nouveau conveyed through an
the Art Nouveau movement in
Nouveau elements as well as
advertisement would allow an
Belgium, Henry Van de Velde,
the beginning of Mucha’s style
individual from a less urban area
was a painter, architect and
becoming inextricably linked
where, for reasons of economic
interior designer. Van de Velde
with the movement.
hardship or perception, to bear
was responsible for both the
witness to the intricate works of
theory of the Art Nouveau style
the movement. In Art Nouveau
and for its broadcasting across
graphics, the spatial area, color
Europe. His graphic design work
and texture were dictated by
of the 1890s shows flowing
organic
linear
clothing
style
movements.
curves and abstract patterns
The design of Art Nouveau
emerging from figurative scenes.
objects’ forms and lines were
This style is exemplified in Van de
formed by and evolved with
Velde’s Volutes wallpaper design
the design of the ornament. It
from 1895. In addition, Aubrey
was the intent of Art Nouveau
Beardsley’s black ink drawings
graphic designers to make art a
were influenced by Japanese
part of everyday life. That idea
woodcuts,
prevailed through the work of
the weird, the self-indulgent,
Jules Cheret, who is acclaimed
and the sensual. His work was a
as the father of the modern
significant development of the
poster.
Art Nouveau style of posters
Cheret
incorporated
and
Alphonse
Mucha.
emphasized
Élysée, 1896, Jules Cheret.
His
Graphic Design
Poster for Tropon food concentrate, 1899, Henri Van De Velde.
Job, 1896, Alphonse Mocha
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Art Glass
“color is to the eye what music is to the ear” -Louis Comfort Tiffany
Art Nouveau art glass followed the principle
of Art Nouveau, more specifically utilizing
of utilizing sinuous lines and curves inspired
stained glass in the windows and panels of
by natural forms through decorative
interiors he designed for prominent New
vases, lamps, and stained glass windows,
Yorkers. Tiffany became most known for
which were usually handmade and often
his famous handmade, leaded-glass lamps
flamboyant. In France, the city of Nancy
that depicted natural subjects such as
became the center of the Art Nouveau
poppies, lilies, and dragonflies.
glass industry. It developed around the
The Water Lily table lamp was one
work of Émile Gallé, when in 1874, he
of Tiffany’s most successful designs.
opened his own workshop there. Gallé
Model no. 344 of this design flawlessly
borrowed a technique of layering plaques
exemplifies the Art Nouveau style through
of glass from Chinese and Japanese glass
its colorful organic form and use of curves
snuff bottles and applied it to his work.
to emphasize the aesthetic of nature.
He used many layers of glass to achieve
Glasfabrik Johann Loetz Witwe was also
various color combinations and developed
one of the leading art glass manufacturers
techniques to improve the color and
during this era that incorporated organic
brightness of glass, without losing its clarity.
shapes, curvilinear features and notable
In the United States, Louis Comfort Tiffany
influences of nature. The Loetz Vase, c.
invented a type of handblown iridescent
1900 shows these characteristics while
glass, which he patented under the name of
also showcasing Loetz’s incredible use of
Favrile. He gained a reputation for producing
color and iridescent effects.
vases, bowls, and goblets in the curvy style Opposite: Water Lily Lamp, c. 1902, Louis Comfort Tiffany
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Architecture Victor Horta is known as the “Father of Art Nouveau architecture” in part due to his use of the “Belgian” or “Horta Line”. This type of line is a distinctive “whiplash” curve seen, for example, in Brussel’s Hotel Tassel, a landmark in Art Nouveau architectural design. The curvaceous details and organic features of the wrought-iron staircase in this hotel is an example of how beautiful the marriage between architecture and Art Nouveau can be. A prominent figure of the Art Nouveau style
was French architect and furniture designer Hector Guimard. Influenced by Horta, Guimard rose to fame after he designed the first Art Nouveau style apartment building in Paris, the Castel Beranger. Guimard’s style is based on nature with decorations that are functional parts of the construction. His furniture designs display a similar harmony of design and sophistication of detail. Furniture designer Louis Majorelle also utilized nature and flowing silhouettes in
Opposite: Wrought-Iron staircase for the Hotel Tassel, 1893, Victor Horta.
Opposite: Le hall dentrée du Béranger, 1893, Hector Guimard.
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his work for the home. The shapes Majorelle implemented were less traditional and were sculpted utilizing braces and structural elements that became shoots and branches. Majorelle also used metal details in a purely ornamental fashion which was inspired by Japanese stylization and common, local flora in France. Cabinet c. 1900. By Majorelle showcases his use of tapering straight lines; an organic, flowing shape; intricate floral marquetry; and rich decorative carving.
Legacy
Art Nouveau’s influence was far reaching. Ironically, its wild popularity led to its downfall, due to oversaturation of the market and changing tastes. However, interest in Art Nouveau and its flowy, free, natural forms was again rekindled by the psychedelic artists of the late 1960s. The movement that defined the cultural values of the late 19th and early 20th century by abolishing the beliefs of the academic system and portraying authenticity through fantasy and idealism still continues to inspire artists. Calmwater Designs from Stephanie Young currently sells beautiful Art Nouveau-style porcelain pieces online. The artist describes her work as “Art Nouveau style - meets nature - meets love - with a dash of
joie de vivre + a smidgen of sass”. The inventive and revolutionary designs of this era brought to the masses a redefined relationship between what was considered fine art and mainstream art. Now, Art Nouveau is represented mainly through interior design in luxury residences. In 2010, Daria Grigorieva designed the interior of a 1,292 square foot apartment in Moscow to feature flowing floral ornaments, such as lilies and irises, along with doorways made of solid oak arches. The residence has many other distinctive features of the Art Nouveau style that make this interior drip with organic elegance. Overall, Art Nouveau had a major impact on art and design by portraying the beauty to be found in nature.
Forest Series Vase, 2020, Calmwater Designs, Stephanie Young.
Moscow Apartment, 2010, Daria Grigorieva.