Art Nouveau - Furniture & Architectural Styles

ArtNouveau

Timeline of Western ArtGeorgian EraVictorian Era1714-18371837-1901Art aissanceArts & CraftsRevivals &Ind. Rev. 1900

Art NouveauLate 1800’s Embraced all forms of art and design. Name taken from French for “new art”. Flourished in a number of European countries – also calledJegendstil. Reached its peak during the 1890’s.

Art NouveauLate 1800’s Reaction to Arts and Crafts movement & historicism. Drew design elements from nature. Expressed itself in botanical form including flower stemsand ornamental vines. Alternatively it emphasised in geometric form inspired byJapanese art.

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Victor Horta (1861-1947)Hôtel Solvay,Brussels, 1895-1900

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Victor Horta (1861-1947)Hôtel Tassel,Brussels, 1892-1893Hôtel Solvay,Brussels, 1895-1900

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Henri Guimard (1867-1942)Metropolitan Subway Entrances, Paris, c. 1900

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) Spanish designer and architect. Designs represent a highly personalresponse to the art nouveau ideas of histime. His style was a blend of neo-Gothicand art nouveau, but also has surrealistand cubist elements.

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)La Pedrera (Casa Milà), Barcelona, 1906-1910

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)La Pedrera (Casa Milà), Barcelona, 1906-1910

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)La Pedrera (Casa Milà), Barcelona, 1906-1910

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)Casa Batlló, Barcelona, 1904-1906

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)Casa Batlló, Barcelona, 1904-1906

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)Templo Expiatorio de la SagradaFamiglia (Church of the HolyFamily), Barcelona, 1883- current

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE – Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)Templo Expiatorio de la SagradaFamiglia (Church of the HolyFamily), Barcelona, 1883- current

Art NouveauLate 1800’sARCHITECTURE– Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)Templo Expiatorio de la SagradaFamiglia (Church of the HolyFamily), Barcelona, 1883- current

Art NouveauINTERIORSLate 1800’sAlphons Mucha, Interior for Parisian JewellerGeorges Fouquet ,Paris, 1900

Art NouveauDESIGNLate 1800’sAlphonse Mucha, Theatre of the Renaissance posterParis, 1895

Art NouveauLate 1800’sDESIGN & FURNITURE The declare goal of Art Nouveau was the incorporation ofartistic designs into all areas of life. Everyday items such as furniture and tableware were to bedesign by artists. Theoretically this should have led to simpler and morefunctional forms than before. In reality only wealthy households could afford most of theelaborately made products. This is why this style had already disappeared by the start ofthe World War I.

Art NouveauLate 1800’sDESIGN & FURNITURE – Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) American artist and designer who workedin the decorative arts and is best knownfor his work in stained glass. Most associated with the ArtNouveau and Aesthetic movements. Designed stained glass windows andlamps, glass mosaics, blown glass,ceramics, jewellery, enamels andmetalwork. Affiliated with a prestigious collaborativeof designers known as the AssociatedArtists.

Art NouveauLate 1800’sDESIGN & FURNITURE – Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) Organic character of the lampis emphasised throughout thepiece in its details. Bronze support replicatesbroad, flat lily pads clusteredaround a base, out of whichrise attenuated climbing stemsthat disappear into the shadeand re-emerge in glass at thecrown. A variety of glass was used toLotus or Water-lily table lamp,great advantage.Leaded Favrile glass and bronzeNew York, 1904-1915

Art NouveauLate 1800’sDESIGN & FURNITURE – Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933)Vase,New York, 1913Vase,New York, 1893-1896

Art NouveauLate 1800’sDESIGN & FURNITURE – Archibald Knox (1864-1933) Scottish born Archibald Knox begandesigning for Liberty & Co. Introduced new Celtic design work suchas ‘Cymric’ and ‘Tudric’ range, (silver andpewter respectively). The feature of this development is thecomplete breaking away from conventionin the matter of design treatment. In addition to metalwork and jewelleryKnox designed terracotta gardenornaments, carpets, wallpaper and fabrics.

Art NouveauLate 1800’sDESIGN & FURNITURE – Archibald Knox (1864-1933)Vase,Terracotta with green glaze,London, c. 1905Tudric range Clock,pewter, enamel, copperLondon, c. 1905

Art NouveauDESIGN & FURNITUREThe sinuous and sensualdesign, with the elegant,curved forms of the cradleand the long vertical armthat supported drapednetting, reflects the popularArt Nouveau style of thetime.J. & J. KOHNCradel,c. 1878, ViennaLate 1800’s

Art NouveauDESIGN & FURNITURECarlo Bugatti was an Italianfurniture designer most activein the Art Nouveau era, around1900. His eclectic, strikingdesigns are unlike any othersand are immediatelyrecognisable.Carlo BUGATTIChair,1902, ItalyLate 1800’s

Art NouveauDESIGN & FURNITUREGustave Serrurier-BovyCabinet-vitrine,1899, BelgiumLate 1800’s

Art Nouveau Represents the beginning ofmodernism in design. Occurred at a time when massproduced consumer goods began tofill the marketplace, and designers, In this integrated approach artarchitects, and artists began tonouveau had its deepest influence. Aunderstand that the handcrafted workvariety of ensuing movementsof centuries past could be lost.continued to explore integrated While reclaiming this craft tradition,design, including De Stijl, and theart nouveau designersGerman Bauhaus school.simultaneously rejected traditional Although the stylistic elements ofstyles in favour of new, organicart nouveau evolved into the simpler,forms that emphasised humanity'sstreamlined forms of modernism,connection to nature.the fundamental art nouveau concept Good design was applied to allof a thoroughly integratedaspects of living—from architectureenvironment remains an importantto silverware to painting.part of contemporary design.

Art Nouveauf Embraced all forms of art and design.f Name taken from French for “new art”.f Flourished in a number of European countries.f Reached its peak during the 1890s.

Art NouveauCharacteristicsf Flat, decorative patternsf Intertwined organic forms such as stems or flowers.f Handcrafting as opposed to machine made.f The use of new materials.f The rejection of earlier styles.f Sinuous, curving lines also characterize art nouveau.

Victor Horta1861 - 1947f Belgian designer working in Brusselsf Created a new style, free from past traditions.f Rejected historical styles.f Used natural forms as a basis for a new style.f Used standard wrought-iron and cast-irontechnology, but created unique new forms.

In 1893 Horta built his first true ArtNouveau house, the house of theTassel family.Hôtel Tassel in Brussels (1892 - 1893)

The restrained, Art Nouveau facade isalmost Neoclassical in appearance,although a few details do suggest a moreexuberant, free-flowing interior.Hôtel Tassel in Brussels (1892 - 1893)

The house consists of threelevels and also shows oneof the great innovations ofHorta: the rooms are builtaround a central hall. Fromthe beautiful glass ceilinglight falls into the house andthereby creating a muchmore natural illumination ofthe building than was thecase in the traditional late19th century houses inBrussels and Belgium.Hôtel Tassel in Brussels (1892 - 1893)

FoyerVestibule and mezzanineAs well as being one of the first buildings in the Art Nouveau style, it wasalso the first private residence to incorporate ironwork for both structural anddecorative purposes.Hôtel Tassel in Brussels (1892 - 1893)

Its remarkable visual lightness andinteresting spatial qualities wereachieved through innovativeplanning and the use of slenderironwork supports. These stem-likeelements branched out intonaturalistic tendrils and led to thecoining of the term "Horta Line".View of living and dining rooms from vestibuleHôtel Tassel in Brussels (1892 - 1893)

Another common characteristic ofhis architecture focuses on hisstaircases. Iron banisters and stonesteps combine to make a primeexample of his mastery over organicforms and tightly organised spaces.His staircases mapped outmovement throughout the buildingas it carried its users through thespaces. The lines of the steps andthe rails avoid any 90-degreeangles. The exposed ironwork of therails is distinguished by intricatecurves and connections. The actualbanister appears to be one whole,free-floating piece of wood.Hôtel Tassel in Brussels (1892 - 1893)

Horta revealed the structural columnthat supports the second floor andtransformed its cast-iron form into aplant-like stem that terminates in a burstof intertwined tendrils as it connectswith other structural elements.Hôtel Tassel in Brussels (1892 - 1893)Interior, winter garden

Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)

Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)

In these detail images of thefaçade we can see the everpresent elegant sinuous lines sotypical of Horta’s work.Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)

Grand staircase opposite main entranceAgain we see that the house plan iscentered around the grand staircasewith its flowing lines. Another greatfeature Horta made the most of isalso visible in this image. Hismurals, an example of which is here,come from the heart of art nouveauideals. The paintings don't act as abackdrop for the structural work, butrather, they work with the structuralwork, incorporating all architecturalelements together.Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)

Grand staircaseHorta used the combination of naturallight and mirrors to optimise the effectof a continuous series of spaces.Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)

Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)Plant conservatory

Here is a copy of a light distributiondrawing that Horta drew for the building.The natural daylight enters from largeskylights and is spread throughout thehouse, and all levels, by the use of mirrorsand glass.Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)

Hôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)Dining room, 2nd floor

Light fittingHôtel Solvay in Brussels (1895 - 1900)

Alphonse Mucha1860 - 1939f Born in Czechoslovakia.f Worked in Paris as a graphic artist andinterior designer.f Posters show typical art nouveau graphicdesign style with elaborately stylised natural forms fluid curving lines rich colours

Mucha is most often remembered forthe dominant role he played in shapingthe aesthetics of French Art Nouveauat the turn of the century. As astruggling and relatively unknownartist of Czech origin, Mucha achievedimmediate fame when, in December1894, he accepted a commission tocreate a graphic to advertise thegreatest actress of the time, SarahBernhardt. That first widely circulatedartwork and those that followed wereso revolutionary in concept and stylethat Mucha's art became widelyknown throughout Europe as "le styleMucha."Sara Bernhardt 1903

Amants 1895

Mucha's own sense of style waswell-suited to new trends in both artand society. His adoration of womenand feminine forms appropriatelyexpressed the Victorian idealizationof womankind. His love of sinuouscurves and flowing lines and theease with which he abstracted andstylized motifs from the naturalworld into curvilinear decorativeforms coincided perfectly with thegrowing interest in the strictlydecorative qualities of art.Parfum Rodo 1896

With this highly successful poster, Muchatook his place in the celebrated Salon DesCent. His first exhibition was held underthe auspices of the magazine "La Plume",whose publisher, Leon Deschamps,discovered this poster motif – with its"half-naked woman, her head encircled,halo-like, by golden hair cascading inarabesques" – almost by chance. Hisadvice to Mucha: "Execute this design justas it is, and you will have created themasterpiece of the illustrated decorativeposter."Salon des Cent 1896