Art Nouveau Movement

Art Nouveau:

was an innovative international style of modern art that became popular around the 1890s to the First World War...Art Nouveau rooted in the industrial revolution and the arts and crafts movement but was also influenced by japonism and Celtic designs.

 

Typically Nouveau used intricate curvilinear patterns of sinuous asymmetrical lines, this was often based on plant-forms which came from Celtic art; Floral and other plant-inspired motifs are very popular Art Nouveau designs. 

ART NOUVEAU-ARCHITECTURE 

Art Nouveau buildings have many of these features: 

- Asymmetrical Shapes 

- Extensive use of arches and curved forms 

- Curved Glass

- Curving, plant-like embellishments

- Mosaics 

- Stained glass 

- Japanese motifs 

ART NOUVEAU- FASHION

Art Nouveau fashion provides a fascinating introduction to the style, defining it and placing it in design history by focusing on a number of important designers- Worth, Lucile, Paquin, Poiret. 

Evening garments were the most lavishly attuned to art nouveau, couturiers swathed their evening wear with a profusion of silk brocade, appliqué, embroidery and lace. From neckline to hem, the designers played art nouveau swirls around the voluptuousness of the fashionable figure, which itself was curvaceously shapes by the "S" -bend corsets. 

ART NOUVEAU-GRAPHIC DESIGN

Alfons Maria Mucha :

Is maybe the most famous representative of the art nouveau style. He was a painter, illustrator, graphic designer and poster artist. Mucha worked in Paris and is Widely known as the graphic designer who took art nouveau to its ultimate visual expression. 

In the 1890s, he created designs- usually featuring beautiful young women whose hair and clothing swirl in rhythmic patterns that achieved an idealised prefection. he organised into tight compositions lavish decorative elements inspired by Byzantine and Islamic design , stylised lettering and sinuous female forms. 

ART NOUVEAU- FURNITURE 

Furniture created in the Art Nouveau style was prominent from the late 19th century to the advent of the First World War.

Art Nouveau furniture was usually expensive with a fine finish that was usually polished or varnished. Continental designs were usually very complex, with curving shapes that were expensive to make. it by no means entirely replaced other styles of furniture, which continued to be popular. 

Charles Rennis Mackintosh furniture was relatively geometrical, marked by dimensions and right-angles. Continental designs were much more alaborate , often using curved shapes both in the basic shapes of the piece , apples in decorative motifs.