Art Nouveau
1890 – 1910
Art Nouveau, ornamental art form that prevailed in all of Europe and the United States between about 1890 and 1910. Art Nouveau is distinguished by its long, silken, organic line and has been most commonly used in architecture, interior design, jewelry and glass design, posters, and illustration. It was a concerted attempt to establish a new style, free from the imitative historicism which governed art and design in much of the 19th century. The term Art Nouveau was coined around this time, in Belgium by the newspaper L'Art Moderne to define the work of the group of artists Les Vingt, and in Paris by S. Bing, who named his gallery L'Art Nouveau. The style was named Jugendstil in Germany, Secessionstil in Austria, Stile Floreale (or Stile Liberty) in Italy, and in Spain Modernismo (or Modernista). (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019)
The urge to abandon the 19th century historical styles was a major impetus behind Art Nouveau and one that defines the Modernism of the movement. By that time, industrial development was widespread, and yet the decorative arts were increasingly dominated by badly produced objects that imitated earlier eras. The Art Nouveau practitioners tried to revive good craftsmanship, boost craft prestige, and create truly modern design that embodied the utility of the products they were making. (Wolf, 2012)
Perhaps the person who best articulated the steep historical arc of Art Nouveau, like a flame that burned brightly but briefly, was the young Englishman Aubrey Vincent Beardsley, whose perverse tastes made him the most controversial Art Nouveau figure. Having sought inspiration in the truculent style of American expat James Abbott McNeill Whistler and in the Japoniste posters of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Beardsley started his formal artistic career at the age of 19. (LeBourdais, 2016)
Figure 1 Aubrey Beardsley, The Climax, 1894. Retrieved from https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-art-nouveau
The India ink drawings by Beardsley for Oscar Wilde 's play Salomé created many important values of the Art Nouveau. Their shadowy imagery, flat patterns of decoration, strong contrast, and controlled but swooping lines quickly earned international recognition from the artist. Picturing Herod's biblical tale beheading St. John the Baptist at the behest of Salomé, the illustration for "J'ai baisé ta bouche, Iokanaan" seeps with sexual imagery: cloth folds, blood streams, and hair strands. (LeBourdais, 2016)
Figure 2 Alphonse Mucha's famous Art Nouveau poster "Zodiac," also known as "La Plume. Retrieved from https://thevisualarchive.blogspot.com/2010/10/art-nouveau-work-featuring-aubrey.html
Alphonse Mucha's famous Art Nouveau poster "Zodiac," also known as "La Plume”. This was set out as a calendar written by F Champenois in 1896. Shortly thereafter, the popular French magazine "La Plume" bought the rights to the illustration of Mucha. The picture became widely popular, and the Magazine became strongly associated with it. (Emma, 2010)
Given a dramatic decrease in the Art Nouveau movement (it already vanished after 1910), its significance in applied arts and architecture remains immense. Here is a modernised illustration which still holds the characteristics of The Art Nouveau Movement.
Figure 3 Modern Art Nouveau. Retrieved from https://pixel77.com/art-history-modern-design-art-nouveau/
In the post-war 60s hippie movement, the Art Nouveau movement had a major impact on illustrators, designers, and the printing industry in America during the Art Nouveau revival era. Currently, some of Art Nouveau's main qualities can be found in the visual communication sector–including New York visual artist Les Katz's artwork of Marilyn Monroe for "Visages De Renom" or the creations of Milton Glaser and his Push-Pin workshop. (Marinica, 2016)
With the advent of postmodern architecture, Art Nouveau has seen something of a resurgence over the last twenty years. Artists all over the globe draw inspiration from aspects of this modern art style. This shows the impact that it has had on art and design throughout the years as it keeps on leaving a legacy.
Bibliography
Emma, 2010. Digital Media Design: my thoughts. [Online]
Available at: https://thevisualarchive.blogspot.com/2010/10/art-nouveau-work-featuring-aubrey.html
[Accessed 13 08 2020].
Available at: https://thevisualarchive.blogspot.com/2010/10/art-nouveau-work-featuring-aubrey.html
[Accessed 13 08 2020].
LeBourdais, G. P., 2016. What Is Art Nouveau?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-art-nouveau
[Accessed 13 08 2020 ].
Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-art-nouveau
[Accessed 13 08 2020 ].
Marinica, A., 2016. The Influence of Art History on Modern Design: Art Nouveau. [Online]
Available at: https://pixel77.com/art-history-modern-design-art-nouveau/
[Accessed 14 08 2020].
Available at: https://pixel77.com/art-history-modern-design-art-nouveau/
[Accessed 14 08 2020].
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019. Art Nouveau. [Online]
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau
[Accessed 12 08 2020].
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau
[Accessed 12 08 2020].
Wolf, J., 2012. Art Nouveau Movement Overview and Analysis. [Online]
Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/art-nouveau/
[Accessed 12 08 2020].
Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/art-nouveau/
[Accessed 12 08 2020].
