Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau

In the late 1800 art in Europe had taken an academic turn.  At that time if you wanted to be a great artist, you had to attend one of the many art academics. The artists needed to study lines, shapes, forms and textures, but some thought that the academic art was not fair. They had the idea that art was not a subject that had to be studied like other subjects but it should be something that lets you express yourself and with no strict rules. The rebel artists were driven to communicate their own style in a different way. This is when the Art Nouveau was created.  Art Nouveau also meaning ‘’New Art’’. This movement lasted only 18 years from 1892-1910. It started in England and then spread all over Europe. This movement didn't create art from real subjects, but instead the artist created the art that normally was inspired from nature. The art included of a lot of flowing and twisting lines of nature and natural forms. The movement was inspired from the Arts and Crafts Movement that was in favour of hand craftsmanship and also Japanese Art that included a lot of flowing lines, flat perspective, the colours olive green, carnation pink and periwinkle blue and whiplash curves. Whiplash curves are curvilinear patterns of sinuous asymmetrical lines that are inspired from plant forms. Art Nouveau could be found in all art forms such as sculpture, paintings, architecture, furniture, jewellery, textile, graphics and household items. 

Art Nouveau  in  architecture  had characteristics like curved lines or arched windows, decorative mouldings, colours, mosaics, stained glass and metal work. Wrought iron was used a lot during the art nouveau movement, it was used in structures and also decorations. 

Antonio Gaudi's Casa Batllo - Barcelona, Spain

Art Nouveau architecture in Barcelona

Wrought Iron Door - Barcelona, Spain

Art Nouveau artist wanted to apply artistic decorations to everything and furniture was on of those things. Furniture was normally made out of organic materials, such as wood like walnut, oak, and teak and included decorated fabrics. It had similarity's to the architecture style with its curving lines and floral motifs. Chair backs and legs were usually curved outward and intersecting with decorative designs, birds, doves and sparrows were seen carved or inlaid  on some of the furniture as decorations. Other products in the house like tea sets, cutlery's and jewellery boxes were also influenced by art nouveau, some were made out of gold and silver for the upper class and bronze and copper for other households. 

Hector Guimard, "Fauteuil", 1903

Walnut corner console

Gustav Gurschner, Art Nouveau bronze mermaid lamp with nautilus shell shade, circa 1899

Sphinx moth bed built in 1904


 Art Nouveau - Sofa - Louis Majorelle - 1905


Shiebler sterling silver multi-motif "Flora" pattern. This is one of the earliest art nouveau patterns, patented in 1889

Art Nouveau Silver-gilt and Enamel Box, done with polychrome enamel floral and foliate motifs

Jewellery was not done the same any more during this movement, this is because instead of using diamond and gem stones as the main focus artist started doing more design work to the jewellery around the precious stones. Materials used included of enamelled gold, moulded glass, horn and ivory. A lot of the jewellery included of insects like dragonflies, butterflies, fantasy creatures and other insects.

Lalique 1900 Art Nouveau Bracelet: gold, sapphires, moulded glass, enamel, pearls

Boucheron Brooch 1900, gold, pliqu-a-jour enamel, aquamarine, rubies, opal, chrysoberyls. 

Enameled Locust hair ornaments with diamond veins and gold bodies. France, c. 1900.

A very good example of Art Nouveau decorative art are works of Louis Comfort Tiffany.  Tiffany created luxury designs done with glass and metal, the inspiration came directly from the natural world. Their  work has been used within architecture and jewellery. The glass works they did was different from  any other normal stained glass because it was died opalescent glass, with lots of colours and a good amount of detail. 

Wisteria, Tiffany Studios, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Stained Glass, Oyster Bay, NYC

Louis Comfort Tiffany Stained Glass

Peony table lamp by Tiffany Studios, with a rare "Mosaic and Turtle-Back" tile base, 1905

Dragonfly Tiffany Lamp

Bowl, Louis Comfort Tiffany, 1899

Rene Lalique is another designer that is known for his glass and jewellery creations.His work was innovative for its time in many ways. His work was also influenced by nature and features unconventional materials and techniques.

Necklace by Rene Lalique,

Bees on Flowers Hair Comb. Carved Horn, Enamel, Gold and Silver. Circa 1900.

Rare enamelled gold and diamond encrusted moth brooch by René Lalique, circa 1900.

The Art Nouveau movement had a rapid decline because of WW1 and was seen as old-fashioned after war but it still remains as an important movement in history of art styles. It was then replaced by the clean, simple geometries of the Art Deco movement.

Art Nouveau inspired pieces

These Alexander McQueen dresses seem to be inspired by the art nouveau style with lines and fluid movements. This can be seen in the embroidery on this dresses.

Art Nouveau inspired furniture.

Stairs inspired by the Art Nouveau movement. Design by Atmos Studio

Reference - 

Bibliography: Gaudi, A. (2016) Art nouveau movement, artists and Major Works. Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-art-nouveau.htm (Accessed: 6 May 2016). In-line Citation: (Gaudi, 2016)

Bibliography: The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica (2014) ‘Art nouveau | artistic style’, in Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau (Accessed: 6 May 2016). In-line Citation: (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014)

Bibliography: Art nouveau | essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of art history | the metropolitan museum of art (2000) Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm (Accessed: 6 May 2016). In-line Citation: (Art nouveau | essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of art history | the metropolitan museum of art, 2000)

Bibliography: visual-arts-cork (no date) Art nouveau design: Characteristics, history, artists. Available at: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm (Accessed: 21 May 2016). In-line Citation: (visual-arts-cork, no date)

Bibliography: Pvt, C.C. (2010) Art nouveau: New Art Furniture. Available at: http://www.artnewsnviews.com/view-article.php?article=art-nouveau-new-art-furniture&iid=9&articleid=184 (Accessed: 6 May 2016). In-line Citation: (Pvt, 2010)