Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau was a movement popular in Britain and Europe lasting around three decades, from 1890 through 1920. Decorative in style it is characterized by the elaborate use of flowing lines to convey a living, fluid quality to the work. Common themes for art nouveau would be wind-blown hair, waves and vines. While frequently recognized in jewelry and interior design Art Nouveau is also seen in illustrations, painting and sculpture of the period.

The name is coined from a gallery in Paris, 'La Maison de l'Art Nouveau', the owner of which was what might be described in modern terms as 'edgy'. Siegfried Bing, proprietor, was quick to accept work that broke the mold of convention.

The practitioners of Art Nouveau felt they would remove barriers between classic and applied arts and represent a new way of thought on the subject. It was not meant so much as a style as it was a sociological representation of the times. The concept of 'art' itself was challenged by the inclusion everyday items in the use of the style. Traditionally 'art' meant painting or sculpture, usually done by commission of the well- to-do in order to be taken seriously and considered 'art'. It blurred the lines of 'craftsmanship' to 'art' and made them one.

The style of Art Nouveau succeeded in that goal and its influence to that end can be seen in everything which follows it.