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Art Nouveau (: Gesamtkunstwerk

Art Nouveau was an international style of art and architecture between 1890 and 1910 that reacted against academic historicism. It featured natural, flowing forms inspired by plants and emphasized asymmetry, movement, and modern materials. A goal was integrating fine and applied arts. It originated in Brussels before spreading to Paris and being adapted by designers like Hector Guimard for the Paris Metro entrances. The style peaked at the 1900 Paris Expo and was used in graphics, furniture, glassware, and more by artists including Mucha, Tiffany, Lalique, and Gallé.

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Carlos Alberca Cahua
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23 views

Art Nouveau (: Gesamtkunstwerk

Art Nouveau was an international style of art and architecture between 1890 and 1910 that reacted against academic historicism. It featured natural, flowing forms inspired by plants and emphasized asymmetry, movement, and modern materials. A goal was integrating fine and applied arts. It originated in Brussels before spreading to Paris and being adapted by designers like Hector Guimard for the Paris Metro entrances. The style peaked at the 1900 Paris Expo and was used in graphics, furniture, glassware, and more by artists including Mucha, Tiffany, Lalique, and Gallé.

Uploaded by

Carlos Alberca Cahua
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Art Nouveau (/ˌɑːrt nuːˈvoʊ, ˌɑːr/; French: [aʁ nuvo]) is an international style of art, architecture

and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was most popular between 1890 and 1910.[1] It
was a reaction to the academic art, eclecticism and historicism of 19th century architecture and
decoration. It was inspired by natural forms and structures, particularly the curved lines of
plants and flowers, and whiplash forms. Other defining characteristics of Art Nouveau were a
sense of dynamism and movement, often given by asymmetry and by curving lines, and the
use of modern materials, such as iron pillars, sculpted and curved in naturalistic designs.[2]
One major objective of Art Nouveau was to break down the traditional distinction between fine
arts (especially painting and sculpture), and applied arts. It was most widely used in interior
design, graphic arts, furniture, glass art, textiles, ceramics, jewelry and metal work. The style
responded to leading nineteenth-century theoreticians, such as French architect Eugène-
Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814–1879) and British art critic John Ruskin (1819–1900). In
Britain, it was influenced by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, which sought
synthesis of art and craft. German architects and designers sought a spiritually
uplifting Gesamtkunstwerk (“total work of art”) that would unify the architecture, furnishings,
and art in the interior in a common style, to uplift and inspire the residents.[3]
The first Art Nouveau houses and interior decoration appeared in Brussels in 1890s, in the
architecture and interior design of houses designed by Paul Hankar, Henry Van de Velde, and
especially Victor Horta, whose Hotel Tassel in Brussels was completed in 1894[4]. It moved
quickly to Paris, where it was adapted by Hector Guimard, who saw Horta's work in Brussels
and applied the style for the entrances of the new Paris Metro. It reached its peak at the 1900
Paris International Exposition, which introduced the Art Nouveau work of artists such as Louis
Tiffany. It appeared in graphic arts in the posters of Alphonse Mucha, and the glassware
of René Lalique and Emile Gallé.

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