#5 - ART NOUVEAU

Art Nouveau came about in the 1890s/1900s era. We can say it was kind of an ornamental style. It’s about long, sinuous, organic lines, intricate detail, the female form, heavy inspiration from nature and biology, and odd curves. It was employed most often in architecture, interior design, jewellery and glass design, posters, and illustration. The style was called Jugendstil in Germany, Sezessionstil in Austria, and Modernismo in Spain.

The notorious ornamental characteristic of this style is its asymmetrical line, often taking the form of flower stalks and buds, vine tendrils, insect wings, and other delicate and sinuous natural objects. In the graphic arts the line subordinates all other pictorial elements—form, texture, space, and colour—to its own decorative effect. In architecture particularly shows this synthesis of ornament and structure; a liberal combination of materials like ironwork, glass, ceramic, and brickwork. Sculpture was almost always integrated into architecture.

The importance of this movement lies in the fact that it was the last to focus on the observation of nature and the first to open a link with the industrial era. It is refined, luxurious and elegant. It uses expensive materials and seeks fine and delicate finishes. It is also a beautician style, where the enjoyment of beauty is the supreme value.

Despite its modernising and bourgeois drive, Art Nouveau did not become a massive style. This was a consequence of complex production modes and the high cost of their materials. By 1910 it was in decline, as art deco made its way. After the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Art Nouveau came to an end in Europe.

What is history of art without pictures? here some:

Entrances to Paris Subway Stations (1900) by Hector Guimard.

+ At that time, Paris was only the second city in the world (after London) to have constructed an underground railway.

“Wisteria” Lamp (1901-05) by Clara Driscoll.

Park Guell (1900-14) by Antoni Gaudi and Josep Maria Jujol

+ The centerpiece consists of a columned market space supporting an open plaza bounded by a serpentine bench covered with a conglomerate of discarded ceramic tiles, called trencadís, a hallmark of Catalan craftsmanship.