A decorative art movement that flourished in western Europe and the USA in the late 19th century. It is characterised by dense asymmetrical ornamentation in sinuous forms. The term is derived from a Paris gallery named ‘L’Art Nouveau’. It was a deliberate rejection of past past styles and is characterised by organic, elegant flowing lines, often [...]
A decorative art movement that flourished in western Europe and the USA in the late 19th century. It is characterised by dense asymmetrical ornamentation in sinuous forms. The term is derived from a Paris gallery named ‘L’Art Nouveau’. It was a deliberate rejection of past past styles and is characterised by organic, elegant flowing lines, often with feminine motifs. Often symbolic and of an erotic nature, the style employed sinuous, asymmetrical lines based on plant forms. It was used in architecture, interior design, graphic art and design, jewellery, and glass. It was international in scope, with notable exponents being Aubrey Beardsley, Alphonse Mucha, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Gustav Klimt, Antonio Gaudi and Victor Horta. Also known as Modernismo in Spain, Jugendstil in Germany, Stile Liberty in Italy and Sezessionismus in Austria, the style did not significantly survive the outbreak of the Great War.