History 1: Art Noveau

Previously I discussed about the Arts and Crafts Movement, which was lead by designer, William Morris. He was such a good designer that he inspired another movement in the design world. This is what is known as Art Nouveau, which was beginning to be seen in the design world from 1890-1910. Not only was Art Nouveau inspired by Morris, they also got their inspiration from artists such as Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Gauguin, and Aubrey Beardsley.

Art Noveau first began in Europe where it was in a period of peace and prosperity, the leaders of this movement being Belgium and France. It also affected other areas including Germany, Spain, and Scandinavian countries. This growth allowed for a more open mind and more open expression if design, this allowed for new and experimental directions in how they went about in one's work. When looking at this type of design we can see the interest and admiration for Japanese art. Japanese art was another one of the major inspirations for this type of design. This can be seen below in the characteristics of Art Nouveau. The European architects that were involved in this movement were accomplished furniture designers. This movement was able to do mass production/factory manufacturing of their furniture, however the quality was still seen in the final product.

Characteristics of Art Nouveau are as follows:

It is a Rejection of Victorian design.
Design based and inspired from Nature.
Use of modern materials (iron and glass)
Use of modern technology (industrial production)
Electric Lighting
Relationship with Fine Arts including paintings and sculptures
Curvilinear lines are a dominant trait (Whiplash)
Abstract forms derived from: Flowers, Vines, Shells, Bird Feathers, and Insect Wings.

During this era, Victor Horta was the most influential designer. Horta was a Belgian architect, designer, and teacher. He did a lot of unique iron rails and iron work. Also, one can see a lot of stenciling on ceiling and walls, as well as mosaic tile patterns on many surfaces of a room. While all of these seem a little out there, they were all done in a cohesive way. The Horta House in Brussels is one of his iconic works. This can been seen pictured below. It has an asymmetrical façade, twisted iron balcony, large glass window frames, and curvilinear nature related details.