Art Nouveau
A
French term which translates as 'new art', taken from
shop opened in Paris 1895; it was also known as 'Jugendstil'
in Germany, 'Arts and Crafts Movement' in England, 'Yellow
Book Style' in America, and 'Stile Liberty' in Italy after the fashionable London department
store epitomizing what is sometimes called 'fin de siècle style'.
Art Nouveau was a decorative style of architecture
and interior design which appeared in Europe and the
United States in the 1890s, transforming art and
design. The movement was characterized by stylized,
sinuous lines and curving reminiscent of organic
forms such as unfolding tendrils, stylized flowers
and foliage, and flame shapes.
In England, it appears in the illustrations of Aubrey
Beardsley; in Spain, in the architecture of Antonio
Gaudi who took the style to new heights of fantasy;
in France, in the architecture of Hector Guimard, the
art glass of Rene Lalique, and the posters of
Alphonse Mucha; in Belgium, in the houses and shops
of Victor Horta; in the USA, in the lamps and metal
work of Louis Comfort Tiffany, and in Scotland, in
the interior and exterior designs of Charles Rennie
Mackintosh.
Art Nouveau painting is typified by extravagant
patterns and elegant female figures with long,
flowing hair (Klimt). The sophisticated graphic
work of Aubrey Beardsley represents its tendencies to
eroticism and decadence (Schiele), while the
designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh present a more
restrained, geometric version.
Representative
artists:
Beardsley,
Guimart, Klimt,
W Morris, Mucha, Munch, Schiele, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gaudi,