Art Nouveau

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Art Nouveau
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"An international style of decoration and
architecture which developed in the 1880s and
1890s which lasted until the first world war. The
name derives from the Maison de l'Art Nouveau, an
interior design gallery opened in Paris in 1896,
but in fact the movement had different names
throughout Europe. In Germany it was known as
'Jugendstil', from the magazine Diejugend (Youth)
published from 1896 in Italy 'Stile Liberty'
(after the London store, Liberty Style) or
'Floreale' in Spain 'Modernista', in Austria
'Sezessionstil' and, paradoxically, in France the
English term 'Modern Style' was often used,
emphasizing the English origins of the movement.
"In design Art Nouveau was characterized by
flat, decorative patterns intertwined organic
forms such as stems or flowers with writhing
plant forms, curvilinear depiction of leaves and
flowers, often in the form of vines, sinuous
lines and curves although right-angled forms are
also typical, especially as the style was
practiced in Scotland and in Austria. It
emphasized handcrafting as opposed to machine
manufacturing the use of new materials and the
rejection of earlier styles. The style pervaded a
range of art forms from architecture and interior
design, furniture to printmaking, illustration,
glass design pottery, jewelry textiles, wrought
iron works and graphic design typography.
2-dimensional Art Nouveau pieces were painted,
drawn, and quite popular in printed material like
advertising, posters, labels, magazines and the
like. This was a sharp contrast to the
traditional separation of art into the distinct
categories of fine art (painting and sculpture)
and applied arts (ceramics, furniture, and other
practical objects). The defining characteristic
of Art Nouveau the factor that made it into an
intellectually and socially cohesive force was
modernity. It was the first deliberate,
internationally based attempt to transform visual
culture through a commitment to the idea of the
modern. to fit with a world that was becoming
increasingly new and changed in every way
possible. (The Essence of Art Nouveau, Paul
Greenhalgh)
"In Britain the style was exemplified by the
architecture of Rennie Mackintosh, Aubrey
Beardsley illustrated images for contemporary
literature that showcased the curvilinear style.
"In France, despite Hector Guimard's famous glass
and iron Metro designs, the movement was best
expressed in the applied arts, especially the
glassware and jewelry of Rene Lalique (1860-1945)
and Emile Galle (1846-1904). In Belgium, the
style was promoted through the Societe des Vingts
(Les Vingt) established in 1884, including
architects Horta and Van de Velde in its members.
Alphonse Mucha (Czechoslovakian, 1860-1939),
designed posters in the style after moving to
France. In Spain the style was concentrated in
the eccentric hands of Antonio Gaudi in
Barcelona. In Vienna, architects like Wagner and
Hoffmann, and artists such as Klimt Gustav Klimt
(Austrian, 1862-1918), gathered to promote the
style through the Secessionist magazine Ver
Sacrum.. In America architects like Sullivan and
Wright were influenced by European ideas but
conceived Art Nouveau in different terms, whilst
designers like Louis Comfort Tiffany
enthusiastically embraced the movement in his
stained glass works.
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Art nouveau in Britain evolved out of the already
established arts and crafts movement. Founded in
1861 by English designer William Morris, the arts
and crafts movement emphasized the importance of
handcrafted work. Morris's devotion to handmade
articles was a reaction against shoddy
machine-made products that were flooding the
English marketplace as the industrial revolution
expanded. The arts and crafts movement also
promoted a totally designed environment in which
everything from wallpaper to silverware is made
according to a unified design. British art
nouveau designers of the 1890s shared Morris's
dedication to hand-crafted work and integrated
designs. To these principles they added new forms
and materials, establishing the aesthetic of the
art nouveau style. In the graphic arts, Aubrey
Beardsley drew illustrations for periodicals such
as The Yellow Book (1894-1895), and for an
edition of the play Salomé (1894) by Irish-born
writer Oscar Wilde. Beardsley's vigorous use of
line and distinctive double-curves known as
whiplash lines have become equated with British
art nouveau in the popular imagination. From
http//home.arcor.de/oscar.wilde/lifetime/art_nouv
eau.htm
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• Aubrey Beardsley, 1872-98
• Illustrations for Oscar Wildes Salome, 1892
• Perverse eroticism
• Decadence
• Drips of blood from head turn into curving plant
  forms

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Alphonse Mucha was born in 1860 in Ivancice,
Moravia, which is near the city of Brno in the
modern Czech Republic. Like every aspiring artist
of the day, Mucha ended up in Paris in 1887. His
way was based on a strong composition, sensuous
curves derived from nature, refined decorative
elements and natural colors. The Art Nouveau
precepts were used, too, but never at the expense
of his vision. Bernhardt signed him to a six year
contract to design her posters and sets and
costumes for her plays. Mucha was an overnight
success at the age of 34, after seven years of
hard work in Paris. by Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr.
http//www.bpib.com/illustrat/mucha.htm
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Metro Station, Paris Hector Germain Guimard's
subway entrances for the Paris Metro (early
1900s) are his most famous creations. Using
wrought iron, bronze, and glass, Guimard composed
his structures using the curves characteristic of
the Art Nouveau style
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http//gaudi.hit.bg/
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Victor Horta's House The elaborate wrought-iron
and glass-window facade, center, of this house in
Brussels, designed and built in 1898 by Belgian
architect Baron Victor Horta, displays his
preference for the European style of art known as
art nouveau. The architect's decorative "whiplash
lines," inspired by the look of natural
vegetation, flow throughout the house's exterior
design. Noted for his emphasis on ornamentation,
Horta created buildings with elaborate exteriors
and carefully planned interiors.
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