Art Nouveau

 

Art Nouveau style was most popular between 1890 and 1910. Art Nouveau represented a major change in European and Western art, architecture and design. Belgium and France were the leaders of the movement. Germany, Spain and the Scandinavian countries were also affected. It was a period of beautiful and creative expressions. It was a reaction against the Victorian style and any imitation of the 19th century historical style. It was inspired by natural forms and incorporated decorative ornamentations such as the curves of plants, flowers, vines, shells and bird feathers. Other characteristics of Art Nouveau were a sense of dynamism and movement, often given by asymmetry or whiplash lines and the use of modern materials, specifically iron, glass, and ceramics. 

This period was fairly the same time as the Arts and Crafts movement. The Arts and Crafts wanted everything handcrafted whereas Art Nouveau embraced technology and manufacturing process. Many designs looked handcrafted but were made in factories. The furniture included features like curved lines and organic shapes. These designs appreciated good craftsmanship and mass- production. Art Nouveau influenced decorative arts and interior design, this brought objects into people's homes and environment. 



The movement was also partly inspired by linear patterns of Japanese prints. The flowing lines of Japanese prints became a new inspiration for European artists. These designs included muted colors such as browns, mustards, sage and olive greens. Imagery are important features of both Japanese prints and Art Nouveau design. The movement introduced interior designers as artists aimed for harmony and continuity in décor.


A Step Further:

Victor Horta was the most influential designer of this period. He was one of the founders of the movement. He was an architect, designer and teacher. He studied at the Department of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. His designs incorporated unique iron railings and hardware as stenciled walls and ceilings. He also was known for incorporating mosaic tile patterns on the floors, walls and ceilings. In this design, the emphasis is on the structure. The detailed columns anchor the space. There are vine like twists incorporated at the top of the columns as well as beautiful mosaic flooring throughout the design. We can also see the whiplash curves of the plants on the wall surfaces. The main materials used were wood, iron and glass. There are soothing colors of greens, oranges and 
yellows integrated as well. 


Resources:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1005/
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/06/17/beautiful-examples-of-art-nouveau-furniture-a-radical-design-change-in-its-time/

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2021 at 2:32 PM

    Erica,
    This was a great post recapping the Art Nouveau period. I feel like there is a major trend of Art Nouveau lately in modern day designs. I thought that you explained Victor Horta really well. I also wrote about him and it's really interesting to see the detail in his work and how expressive it is relating back to nature. Overall, I liked how you discussed nature as being the main inspiration for Art Nouveau, along with the Japanese prints which I found so interesting! I think nature and the organic flare are some of the main components that defines this period, but also gives inspiration for interior furnishings today. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kelly MunsellJanuary 31, 2021 at 4:40 PM

    I really liked the pictures you used, I thought they really complimented what you talked about and showed the intentionality of Art Nouveau. I also thought it was good that you talked about them balancing good craftsmanship with mass-production. It's important to remember that even if it wasn't handmade it can still be good quality. Victor Horta's mosaics are definitely very interesting and I thought it was great that you mentioned it. We forget a lot that we can use mosaics in our designs. They are so versatile and can add so much to a space.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaFebruary 1, 2021 at 11:54 AM

    Erica-
    Great summary of Art Nouveau. Your images were great. Your description of the influence of Japanese prints was well stated.
    I appreciated both articles that you shared. The Article about the radical examples of Art Nouveau furniture was interesting to me. I had not seen all of these examples.
    Thank you for your post!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Arts and Crafts Movement

Image
     In the early 20 th -century, the Arts and Crafts movement began as a reaction after the Victorian Period. The Victorian Era was an interesting time in the design world. After the Industrial revolution, factories gained the ability to easily and cheaply create furniture, art, fabric, and accessories that became a lot more accessible to the common person.   All individuals and families were now able to get all the objects they desired so they crammed their homes with furniture and decorative items everywhere.  This led to cluttered rooms and interior spaces, which characterized the look of Victorian design. Some may think that the designs were awful. In the History of furniture by Mark Hinchman, they say, “Victorian” connoted the depths of bad taste, allegedly playing into the desire of unsophisticated people for efflorescent decoration, and a frenzy of decorative excess. Some of the words to describe Victorian Design are unintelligible, garish, deplorable, monstrous, ambiguous, and
Read more

The Emergence of Modernism

Image
  After World War 1, modernist designs continued, and artists and designers gradually started to explore new and diverse possibilities in materials, colors and shapes and started using postmodernist furniture in designs. They rejected past and historic designs and focused more on the advances of technology. New technologies included skyscrapers, automobiles, trains, and photography. This new technology provided the opportunity for mass production. Influential designers of this period would include Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, and Le Corbusier. They guided towards a new direction of design. The international style is a major architectural style that  developed in Europe and the United States in the  1920s and '30s. These characteristics are common to Modernism with its artistic aspects. It is identified into three principles: 1) The expression of volume rather than mass,  2) The emphasis on balance rather than preconceived symmetry 3) The expulsion of applied orna
Read more