Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau was a movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that swept through the decorative arts and architecture. With the movement issued in a wide variety of style, it results in being known by various names, such as Glasgow style, or in the German speaking work, Jugendstil. This influenced enthusiasts throughout Europe and beyond, allowing a wide variety of styles to be created. Although once being popular, the eclectic styles were being upgraded and modernized. Artists varied their designs from inspirations to both organic and geometric forms, highlighting and expressing elegant designs that united flowing, natural forms with more angular contours. The style went out of fashion after it gave way to Art Deco in the 1920's, but it experienced s popular revival in the 1960's, and is now seen as an important predecessor of modernism. Modernism is a term applied to the late-nineteenth century and twentieth-century movements-including art, literature, architecture, philosophy that promote the new, free from historical references.

The establishment of the movement of modernism, and the impetus behind Art Nouveau, was influenced from the desire to abandon the historical styles of the 19th century. Poorly made objects imitating earlier periods increasingly dominated the decorative arts, even though industrial production was at that point, widespread. The purpose behind the practitioners of Art Nouveau was to revive good workmanship, raise the status of craft, and produce genuinely modern design. The widespread belief that media such as painting and sculpture were superior to crafts such as furniture design and silver-smithing was supported by the academic system, which dominated art education from the 17th to the 19th century. The consequence many believed was the neglect of good craftsmanship. The 19th century was being seen as excessively ornamental, from the many Art Nouveau designers, and in wishing to avoid what they perceived as frivolous decoration, they evolved a belief that the function of an object should dictate it's form.

When Art Nouveau was first showcased in Paris and then in London, there was outrage; people either loved it or loathed it. Within the style itself, there are two distinctive looks: curvy lines and the more austere, linear look of artists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Some aspects of Art Nouveau was revived again in the 1960's.

Style

-Sinuous, elongated, curvy lines

-The whiplash line

-Vertical lines and height

-Stylized flowers, leaves, roots, buds and seedpods

-The female form-in a pre-Raphaelite poses with long, flowing hair

-Exotic woods, marquetry, iridescent glass, silver and semi-precious stones

Influences

-Arts and crafts-Art Nouveau shared the same belief in quality goof and fine craftsmanship but was happy with mass production

-Rococo style

-Botanical research

The names

-Charles Rennie Mackintosh-Architect and designer of furniture and jewelry

-Alphonse Mucha-Posters

-Aubrey Beardsley-Book illustrations

-Louis Comfort Tiffany-Lighting

-René Lalique-Glass of jewelry

-Emile Galle-creamics, glass and furniture

-Victor Horta-Architect