Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is an international style of art, architecture and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was popular mainly between 1890 and 1910, its period ending with the outbreak of WW1. After the war, it was succeeded by Art Deco and other forms of Modernism.
Art Nouveau was a reaction to the academic historicism and eclecticism of the 19th century that favoured fine arts (paintings and sculptures) over applied arts (architecture, furniture, ceramics, etc., much of what we refer to today as "design"). It was inspired by natural forms, 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 sinuous lines;, the use of modern materials, such as iron pillars with glass, and the young European women depicted as femme fatales. Art Nouveau was known under multiple names based on country or region: Jugendstil in Germany, Nieuwe Kunst in the Netherlands, Modern Style in Great Britain and Modernisme in Catalonia and Spain. Despite being highly associated with the Belle Époque, the movement didn't have a hegemony in Western art of the period. While innovative Art Nouveau buildings were erected around the year 1900, historicist (Neoclassical, Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, etc.) objects and structures were produced during the same period. Sometimes, this led to blends of historic styles and Art Nouveau.
After WW1, the movement was seen as very "passé", "dated" or "out of fashion", being replaced by Art Deco and Modernism, which featured angular shapes, a machine-inspired aesthetic, and sometimes completely rejected ornamentation. The avant-garde's preference for simple geometric shapes was better suited to industrial production. Later, Art Nouveau inspired the psychedelic art of the 1960s. Many psychedelic concert posters from the 1960s were in fact copies of Art Nouveau posters, with only their colours and text being changed. Today, many people love Art Nouveau, and some Contemporary artists take their inspiration from this style. Nowadays, the style is best known through Alphonse Mucha's posters that feature young women and foliage designs.
==Emergence==
The taste of Europeans for Japanese art was one of the key factors that led to the emergence of the movement. Multiple Western artists who worked in this style had collections of Japanese art in their homes, serving as early iterations of weebs. Art Nouveau posters were particularly influenced by Japanese woodblock prints, featuring blank colours and faded earthy colours, like olive green, and visible outlines. Ceramics and glassware were influenced by Japanese pottery, usually being simplistic and in darker earthy colours. Another Japanese influence were the circle-shaped windows present in Art Nouveau architecture; these were frequently based on moon gates found in zen gardens.
Due to the fact that Art Nouveau appeared in the late 1880s and 1890s, the movement was somewhat influenced by styles of the 19th century. Usually, these influences range from very subtle to non-existent. In rare cases, some Art Nouveau objects like furniture, ceramics, or metalworks may have some Gothic Revival or Rococo Revival elements, especially in France. In Spain, Antoni Gaudí, the most famous Art Nouveau architect and designer, frequently took inspiration from traditional Catalan styles and Mudéjar and Gothic architecture, and was a prominent figure of the Modernisme movement in Catalonia. In the UK, artists were influenced by the complex knots found in Celtic and Anglo-Saxon artifacts. In Romania, Art Nouveau was a factor that led to the emergence and popularity of the Romanian Revival, or Brâncovenesc Revival style, using elements taken from peasant and Brâncovenesc architecture. Similarly, the National Romantic style appeared in Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia), and some Hungarian examples of Art Nouveau have folkloric sources of inspiration. 
Despite historic inspirations in some cases, Art Nouveau was a form of anti-historicism. This is because the 19th century was one of revivals, with Greco-Roman revivals (aka Neoclassicism and the Greek Revival style), the Gothic Revival, the Rococo Revival, the Renaissance Revival, the Egyptian Revival, etc. At the end of the century, some artists felt the need to free themselves and their art from this historicist tradition, creating new styles adapted to the spirit of their time. This is particularly the case of the artists and architects of the Vienna Secession, who reacted specifically against the conservative historicism of the Künstlerhaus.
==Local versions==
Art Nouveau wasn't a consistent style, having different local versions in multiple countries. What most people picture when they think of Art Nouveau is the French and Belgian version, with whiplash lines and foliage ornamentation. The British version had its roots in the Arts and Crafts movement. Because of this, in the UK, the Glasgow School produced objects and structures using straight geometric lines and gentle floral decoration. In Austro-Hungary, artists of The Vienna Secession reacted against the mid- and late-19th century academic eclectic style. Like in the UK, they frequently used straight lines and geometric designs. Examples of this are the Secession Hall in Vienna, Austria (1897-1898, by Joseph Maria Olbrich), the Stoclet Palace in Brussels, Belgium (1905-1911, by Josef Hoffmann), and Gustav Klimt's pantings from his golden period, like The Kiss (1907-1908). Due to these facts, some of the fonts used in British and Austrian Art Nouveau posters are reminiscent of Art Deco and Bauhaus typefaces. Local versions of the movement were also determined by the fact that artists sometimes took inspiration from styles specific to their country. In Sweden and Norway, some of the Art Nouveau buildings and objects were inspired by those of Vikings, usually with complex knot-shaped ornaments (aka interlaces). In Romania, the style was not allowed by the authorities, due to the fact that it was popular in Transylvania, a region of the Austro-Hungarian empire at that time where Romanians were oppressed. So, the Romanians who wanted an Art Nouveau home in the 1900s and early 1910s could only put some subtile ornaments reminiscent of the style, while the rest was completely in the academic Beaux Arts style.
Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary, by Ödön Lechner, 1893–1896.jpeg|Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary, by Ödön Lechner, 1893–1896, an example of Hungarian Art Nouveau
Dining room of the Horta Museum, Brussels, Belgium, by Victor Horta, 1898-1901.jpeg|Dining room of the Horta Museum, Brussels, Belgium, by Victor Horta, 1898-1901, an example of Belgian Art Nouveau
7169C68B-A039-4F1C-BBA5-629FBDB8E592.jpeg|Cast iron detail of the Carson, Pirie, Scott department store, Chicago, USA, by Louis Sullivan, 1899-1904, an example of American Art Nouveau
Design for a music room by Mackintosh, Charles Rennie and Margaret Macdonald, 1901.jpeg|Design for a music room by Mackintosh, Charles Rennie and Margaret Macdonald, 1901, an example of British Art Nouveau
Maison Huot, Nancy, France, by Émile André, 1903.jpeg|Maison Huot, Nancy, France, by Émile André, 1903, an example of French Art Nouveau
Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, by Antoni Gaudí, 1904-1906.jpeg|Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain, by Antoni Gaudí, 1904-1906, an example of Catalan Modernisme
Dining room of the Stoclet Palace, Brussels, Belgium, by Josef Hoffmann, 1904-1911, with murals by Gustav Klimt - frontal view.png|Dining room of the Stoclet Palace, Brussels, Belgium, by Josef Hoffmann, 1904-1911, with murals by Gustav Klimt, an example of Austrian Art Nouveau
Mița the Cyclist House, Bucharest, Romania, by Nicolae C. Mihăescu.jpeg|Mița the Cyclist House, Bucharest, Romania, by Nicolae C. Mihăescu, 1908, an example of Romanian Art Nouveau
==Visuals==
Key Art Nouveau visual elements and features:
*Faded and earthy shades green (more specifically olive green), brown, skin colour, yellow and gold
*Young feminine figures, sometimes depicted as femme fatales
*Hand-lettering
*Plants such as cyclamen, iris, orchid, thistle, mistletoe, holly, water lily
*Animals such as swans, peacocks, dragonflies and butterflies
*Whiplash curves: asymmetrical, curved lines in an S shape, frequently incorporated into natural forms such as women's hair and the stems of plants
The most recognisable and iconic characteristic of Art Nouveau is the use of motifs based on plants and organic shapes like flowers, vines and leaves, most often represented in ironwork. In many ways, the use of organic shapes was a conscious reaction to the Beaux-Arts academic style. The whiplash, or whiplash line, is a motif of decorative art and design that was particularly popular in Art Nouveau. It is an asymmetrical, sinuous line, often in an ornamental S curve, usually inspired by natural forms, which suggests dynamism and movement. 
Architects liked to use the mix of glass and metal in Art Nouveau architecture, which was seen as a sign of modernity at that time. The Paris metro entrances, designed by Hector Guimard around the year 1900, are a very good example of this. Thus, in contrast with the past, Art Nouveau architects didn't try to hide the metal structure of a building, instead making metalwork an integral, intentional, and beautiful part of a building.
==Artists==
*Alphonse Mucha
*Gustav Klimt
*Antoni Gaudí
*Charles Rennie Mackintosh
*Émile Gallé
*René Lalique
*Aubrey Beardsley
*Henry van de Velde
*Victor Horta 
*Louis Comfort Tiffany
*Hector Guimard
*Henri Privat-Livemont
== Resources ==
External links to help get a better understanding of this aesthetic.
=== Pinterest Boards ===
* Aesthetic ♦︎ Art Nouveau ♦︎ by Silverz
*Art Nouveau by Cecilie Okada Design | Art Tutorials
*Art Nouveau by Behrouz
*Art Nouveau Designs by Steve Pseno
*Art nouveau by marie roura and Ju Al
==Gallery==
Poster for Marquet, by Eugène Samuel Grasset, 1892, colour lithograph.jpeg|Poster for Marquet, by Eugène Samuel Grasset, 1892, colour lithograph
Le Divan Japonais poster, by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892, colour lithograph.jpeg|Poster for Le Divan Japonais, by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892, colour lithograph
Stair s.jpg|Hôtel Tassel, Brussels, Belgium, by Victor Horta, 1894
Secession Building, Vienna, Austria, by Joseph Maria Olbrich, 1897.jpeg|Secession Building, Vienna, Austria, by Joseph Maria Olbrich, 1897
Monaco, Monte-Carlo poster, by Alphonse Mucha, 1897, colour lithograph .jpeg|Poster for Monaco, Monte-Carlo, by Alphonse Mucha, 1897, colour lithograph
Entrance of the Castel Béranger, Paris, by Hector Guimard, 1895–1898.jpeg|Entrance of the Castel Béranger, Paris, by Hector Guimard, 1895–1898
Jacqmotte coffee poster, by Fernand Toussaint, circa 1896, colour lithograph.jpeg|Poster for Jacqmotte coffee, by Fernand Toussaint, c.1896, colour lithograph
Cacao van Hoten poster, by Henri Privat-Livemont, 1897, colour lithograph.jpeg|Poster for Cacao van Hoten, by Henri Privat-Livemont, 1897, colour lithograph
La Fermette Marbeuf, Paris, by Émile Hurtré, 1898.webp|La Fermette Marbeuf, Paris, by Émile Hurtré, 1898
Bouquet of crocuses vase, by Louis Joseph Gustave Fuchs, 1898-1899, three-layered hand-blown glass.webp|Bouquet of crocuses vase, by Louis Joseph Gustave Fuchs, 1898-1899, three-layered hand-blown glass
Cover of the Literatură și Artă Română ("Romanian Literature and Arts") magazine, unknown illustrator, 1899, ink on paper.jpeg|Cover of the Literatură și Artă Română ("Romanian Literature and Arts") magazine, unknown illustrator, 1899, ink on paper
Bijouterie Fouquet, Musée Carnavalet, Paris, by Alphonse Mucha, circa 1900.jpeg|Bijouterie Fouquet, Musée Carnavalet, Paris, by Alphonse Mucha, c.1900
B85B957C-0D30-442B-882B-3C0A43C5F563.jpeg|Necklace, by René Lalique, c.1900, gold, enamel and pearls
Art Nouveau clock sold in an antique shop in Paris.jpeg|Clock sold in an antique shop in Paris, unknown maker, c.1900, unknown materials
Porte Dauphine Métro Station, Paris, 1900, by Hector Guimard.jpeg|Porte Dauphine Métro Station, Paris, 1900, by Hector Guimard
Dor of the Les Chardons Building, Paris, by Charles Klein, 1903.jpeg|Door of the Les Chardons Building, Paris, by Charles Klein, 1903
Stairs railing, by by Louis Majorelle, Majorelle brothers and Jean Keppel, 1903-1904, wrought iron and gilt bronze.webp|Stairs railing, by Louis Majorelle, Majorelle brothers and Jean Keppel, 1903-1904, wrought iron and gilt bronze
Hôtel Brion, Strasbourg, France, 1904, by Auguste Brion.jpeg|Hôtel Brion, Strasbourg, France, 1904, by Auguste Brion
"Dawn and Dusk" bed, by Émile Gallé, 1904, wood and other unknown materials.jpeg|"Dawn and Dusk" bed, by Émile Gallé, 1904, wood and other unknown materials
"Harvest" buffet, by Émile Gallé, circa 1904, molded and carved walnut, polychrome wood marquetry, chiseled and gilded bronze.webp|"Harvest" buffet, by Émile Gallé, c.1904, molded and carved walnut, polychrome wood marquetry, chiseled and gilded bronze
Twelve-light chandelier, by Émile Gallé, circa 1904, glass and wrought iron.webp|Twelve-light chandelier, by Émile Gallé, c.1904, glass and wrought iron
Fireplace mantel, attributed to Émile Müller, circa 1904, glazed porcelain stoneware.jpeg|Fireplace mantel, attributed to Émile Müller, c.1904, glazed porcelain stoneware
The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt, 1907-1908, oil and gold leaf on canvas.jpeg|The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt, 1907-1908, oil and gold leaf on canvas
Relief on the Fanny and Isac Popper House, Bucharest, Romania, 1914, by Alfred Popper.jpeg|Relief on the Fanny and Isac Popper House, Bucharest, Romania, 1914, by Alfred Popper
Acorunaartnouveau.jpg|A building in the San Andrés street of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. Constructed by Antonio López Hernández in 1910.
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