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Art Nouveau: A Style of Art and Architecture in Europe (1890-1911)

Art Nouveau is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts.
It was popular between 1890 and 1910 during the Belle Époque period, and was a reaction against the academic art, eclecticism and historicism of 19th century architecture and decoration.
Art Nouveau was characterized by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and flowers, asymmetry or whiplash lines, and the use of modern materials, particularly iron, glass, ceramics and later concrete, to create unusual forms and larger open spaces.
The style was most widely used in interior design, graphic arts, furniture, glass art, textiles, ceramics, jewellery and metal work.
Art Nouveau was influenced by leading 19-century theoreticians, such as French architect Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc and British art critic John Ruskin, and by the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain.
The first Art Nouveau houses and interior decoration appeared in Brussels in the 1890s, in the architecture and interior design of houses designed by Paul Hankar, Henry van de Velde, and Victor Horta.
Art Nouveau then 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 Métro.
Art Nouveau reached its peak at the 1900 Paris International Exposition, which introduced the Art Nouveau work of artists such as Louis Tiffany.
Art Nouveau appeared in graphic arts in the posters of Alphonse Mucha, and the glassware of René Lalique and Émile Gallé.
Art Nouveau spread to the rest of Europe, taking on different names and characteristics in each country.
By 1914, Art Nouveau was largely exhausted and was replaced as the dominant architectural and decorative art style by Art Deco and then Modernism.
Art Nouveau began to receive more positive attention from critics in the late 1960s, with a major exhibition of the work of Hector Guimard at the Museum of Modern Art in 1970.Art Nouveau: A Summary of the Style and its Influence
Siegfried Bing, an art dealer and publisher, played a key role in publicizing the Art Nouveau style in Europe.
The Maison de l'Art Nouveau, a gallery in Paris, showcased modern painting and decorative work by artists such as Georges Seurat and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
The Paris 1900 Exposition universelle marked the high point of Art Nouveau, attracting nearly 50 million visitors from around the world.
The style was showcased through various mediums such as glassware, furniture, and decorative objects.
The French style reached its peak in 1900 and disappeared by 1905, as it was a luxury style that required highly skilled craftsmen.
Belgium was an early center of Art Nouveau, thanks to the architecture of Victor Horta, who designed the Hôtel Tassel.
The Netherlands had a different direction from the more floral and curving style in Belgium, influenced by the more geometric and stylized forms of the German Jugendstil and Austrian Vienna Secession.
Hendrik Petrus Berlage was the most important architect and furniture designer in the Nieuwe Kunst style in the Netherlands.
The Glasgow School in Britain was an early example of the Modern Style, influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and nature.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a prominent figure in the Glasgow School and designed the Glasgow School of Art building.
Art Nouveau was a precursor to the Art Deco style that emerged in the 1920s.Art Nouveau and Secessionist Movements in Europe
Art Nouveau was a movement in art and design that emerged in the late 19th century and was characterized by sinuous lines, floral motifs, and a rejection of historical styles.
Art Nouveau was known as Jugendstil in Germany, and the Vienna Secession in Austria-Hungary.
In Britain, important innovators in Art Nouveau included Aubrey Beardsley, Walter Crane, and Charles Ashbee, while the Liberty department store played a crucial role in promoting the style.
Glasgow was the most important center for Art Nouveau architecture and furniture design in Britain, with Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow School leading the way.
Léon-Victor Solon was an important Art Nouveau ceramics designer at Mintons, while George Skipper was the most active Art Nouveau architect in England.
In Germany, Jugendstil was applied to graphic arts, typography, and graphic design, and was characterized by sinuous curves and geometric lines.
The Darmstadt Artists' Colony in Germany was founded by Ernest Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse, and featured the work of Joseph Maria Olbrich, Peter Behrens, and Hans Christiansen.
The Vienna Secession in Austria-Hungary was founded in 1897 and included Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser, and Josef Hoffmann, with Otto Wagner as the most prominent architect.
Hungarian Szecesszió, or Secession, was marked by the work of architect Ödön Lechner, who used architectural ceramics and oriental motifs.
Károly Kós was another important architect in Hungary, while Gödöllő Art Colony and Miksa Róth were important in promoting Szecesszió in arts.
The most notable Secession buildings in Prague were designed by Josef Fanta and featured paintings of Václav Jansa and sculptures of Ladislav Šaloun and Stanislav Sucharda.Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) in Central and Eastern Europe
Art Nouveau flourished in Central and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The style was characterized by the use of floral and organic forms, as well as curvilinear shapes.
Czech architects Osvald Polívka and Antonín Balšánek, along with painter Alphonse Mucha, were involved in the design of the Municipal House in Prague (1912).
Slovak architect Dušan Jurkovič incorporated Hungarian Szecesszió and local folk art into his designs, such as the Cultural House in Skalica (1905) and the war cemeteries in Galicia (1915-1917).
Slovenian architect Ciril Metod Koch adopted Art Nouveau elements in his designs, including the Pogačnik House (1901) and the Loan Bank in Radmannsdorf (1906).
Art Nouveau in Romania was a mix of Beaux Arts and Art Nouveau due to the style being somewhat illegal in Romanian architecture, as it was popular in Transylvania, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Notable Art Nouveau painter from Romania was Ștefan Luchian.
Stile Liberty was the name given to Art Nouveau in Italy, with notable designers including Galileo Chini and Giovanni Battista Bossi.
Carlo Bugatti was the most important figure in Liberty style design, known for his innovative furniture designs.
Art Nouveau and Secession were prevalent movements in northern Serbia, with famous architects designing buildings in Subotica, Novi Sad, Palić, Zrenjanin, Vrbas, Senta, and Kikinda.
Modernisme in Spain was highly original and included the work of Antoni Gaudí, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
Arte Nova was the Art Nouveau variant in Portugal, characterized by ostentation and the use of locally produced tiles with Art Nouveau motifs.
Art Nouveau in Finland was known as Jugendstil, and was characterized by the use of natural forms and geometric shapes.