Art Nouveau

Anne-Marie Defesche
Origins
 Reaction to the lack of design during
Industrial Revolution
 Built off of desire to make art a part of
everyday life
 Importance of creating a new style for
a new era
 Art Nouveau  “New Art”
Characteristics
 Distinctive style not unique to any one
type of art, that would help unify
chaotic industrial life.
 Organic Forms and Curvilinear Lines
 Rich Floral Patterns
 “Arabesques” (in posters) – repetitive,
often geometric patters
 Parabolas/Hyperbolas (in architecture)
Applications
 Poster Design
 Poster craze
begins in France
 Transition from un-
artistic “commercial
works” to viable
works of art.
 Jules Cheret,
Toulouse Lautrec,
Alphonse Mucha
Applications
 Magazine Design
 Started using
designed covers for
special editions
 Great vessel for
artists and
designers to get
their names out.
 “Le Rire,” “Harpers”
Applications
 Furniture
 Bringing art into
everyday life
 Emphasis on
craftsmanship
brought over from
Arts & Crafts
Movement
 William Morris,
Henry van de Velde
Applications
 Typography
 Invention of the
Linotype and
Monotype
 More
advertisement
 Legibility
 Decorative and
Curvilinear Styles
 Typefaces

Auriol (Georges Auriol) Franklin Gothic (Morris

Fuller Benton) Eckmann (Otto Eckmann)

Bocklin (Otto Weisert) Behrens (Peter Behrens)

Applications
 Architecture
 Curvilinear Lines
 Organic Shapes
 Bringing life to
bland commercial
buildings
 Art as a part of the
landscape
Key Figures
 John Ruskin
 Asserted that
“industrial society
had squelched the
independent
creativity of
workmen”
 Placed great
importance on the
decorative arts.
Key Figures
 William Morris
 Recognized the
lack of design in
mass produced
goods of the Indus.
Rev.
 Morris & Co.
 Kelmscott Press
 Catalyst for “Arts
and Crafts”
movement
Key Figures
 Samuel Bing
 His exposition of
modern art (Maison
de l’art nouveau)
was the origin of
the term still used
today.
 Employed works of
influential artists
like Toulouse
Lautrec
Key Figures
 Jules Cheret
 French artist
 Most influential poster
designer
 New methods for
Chromolithography
 Inspired by Japanese
Art and Rcoco styles
 Hand Designed Type
 Integration of Type and
Image
Les Girard La Loie Fuller
Key Figures
 Alphonse Mucha
 Poster design
 Henri de Toulouse Lautrec
 Poster Design and Fine Art
 Antoni Gaudi
 Architecture
 Henry van de Velde
 Objets D’Art and Architecture
The Spread of Art Nouveau
 United States
 Started employing color earlier than the
Europeans
 Design handled by print-shop workers, little
artistic merit
 Inspired by poster design crazy in Europe
 Magazine Cover Art design
 Harpers, Centure, Lippincot
 Typesetting: Monotype and Linotype
 Boom in advertising agencies
 Integration of ‘Art Director’
The Spread of Art Nouveau
 England
 Interest began with European Posters in the late
1890’s
 Easy access to Japanese art for Inspiration
 Flat 2D images
 Flat planes of color
 Curvilinear Lines
 Aubrey Beardley
 Brought a unique style and erotic element to English
art nouveau
 Beggarstaff Brothers
Spread of Art Nouveau
 Germany
 Key player in development of Art
Nouveau
 Concerned with National Identity
 Called “Jugenstil” or “Youth Style”
 Periodicals promoting Art Nouveau
 Pan (Youthful Spirit)
 Jugend (Youth)
 Blackletter Type
 Game Time!
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Can you identify at least five aspects of Art Nouveau in the video?
Seminal Text