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Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts Movement, Craftsmen, Exhibition, Interior Design, Jugendstil, Period Decorating, Restoration, stained glass, Wallpaper
I’m sure you’ve noticed it too. Art Nouveau is back!
After World War I, Art Nouveau died a quiet death. It witnessed a brief revival during the 1960s* with, unfortunately, no lasting effect. This time however, I have a hunch it’s going to be much bigger. I have been on this Journey into Art Nouveau since 2012, and I can see the number of books, the number of exhibitions and guided tours, the number of tweets and Facebook pages about Art Nouveau increase by the month. Excellent!
* I wrote a story about that Art Nouveau revival in the 1960s and you can read it here.
Posters of Recent Art Nouveau Exhibitions
When, how and why did Art Nouveau emerge?
But why? I can hear you ask. Well, I believe people are getting more interested in Art Nouveau again because they want, no they need beautiful things around them to survive the current life we are living.
In the 19th century, factories were built in the middle of cities and ordinary people were working and living under the filthy-est of conditions. The working class had little money to spend… and they spent it on cheap mass-produced goods. Art Nouveau developed at the end of that 19th century as a reaction to the ugliness of this (second) Industrial Revolution and it’s most important result: mass production.
William Morris
John Ruskin and William Morris’ Arts & Crafts movement was convinced that the general decline of artistic standards brought on by industrialization was linked to the nation’s social and moral decline. They pleaded to raise the status of craft, and produce genuine ‘modern’ design. Craftsmen in other countries followed shortly. According to the philosophy of these young craftsmen, art should be a way of life; every man and every woman deserved to be surrounded by beautiful things.
The Art Nouveau movement that emerged a little later in Europe, embraced architecture, graphic art, interior design, and most of the decorative arts including jewellery, furniture, textiles, household silver and other utensils and lighting, as well as the fine arts. The result was the so-called total-work-of-art or Gesamtkunstwerk, a building and its interior in which every element partook of the same visual vocabulary.
Interior Casa Navas, Reus, a true total-work-of-art
In the mean time, the same industrialisation had caused a new middle class with nearly unlimited funds to emerge. This wealthy bourgeoisie, eager to outrival the refined nobility as well as each other, was happy to pay extra for the best possible materials and craftsmanship. And – of course – artists and designers didn’t hesitate to emphasize the exclusivity of their work; surrounded by beautiful objects, the middle class was living the life. Flip side of the coin was that Art Nouveau became extremely expensive, and unaffordable for the ordinary man. Socially, Art Nouveau failed to comply with its own philosophy.
Industrialisation and mass-production
Today, I feel that we find ourselves in similar ‘dark’ circumstances: Industrialisation is everywhere, we are surrounded by cheap mass-produced goods, global warming is threatening our planet, there are wars everywhere… and I see people turning ‘inside’. Home cooking instead of eating out. Trips to the museum instead of trips abroad. DIY and Interior Design magazines flourish and even knitting is hip! Like we are beginning to realise that we need quality rather than quantity. ‘Made in China’ doesn’t do it anymore and slowly but steadily, crafts are being rehabilitated.
A few of my favorite examples of this trend, where we go back to appreciating traditional crafts again, are on Etsy, Oberon Design, Crowdfunding and Shapeways.
My feelings are being confirmed by other people in the art scene. Just recently, I read a very inspiring article – Collecting Art for Love, Not Money – in the New York Times Style Magazine, by Gully Wells. The article starts with the statement that A purer form of connoisseurship – for pleasure, not profit – is on the rebound. According to Wells, it doesn’t take money but a deep and abiding sense of passion, a hunger for knowledge and an infallible eye for quality, to define a true connoisseur. I totally agree.
Now, that was about our generation collecting original Art Nouveau. But there’s also a contemporary generation of artists creating new ‘Art Nouveau’. Here are some of the most spectacular Art Nouveau-inspired works I came across recently.
CalmWater Designs by Stephanie Young
Butterfly Chair by Eduardo Garcia Campos
Art Nouveau Villa by Oleg Karlson
And what about this passionate artist: Matt Hughes is currently working on a gold leafed Art Nouveau Tarot Deck and accompanying Colouring Book… Isn’t he amazing?!?
Dozens of graphic artists are designing playing cards and posters inspired by Mucha, and there are graffiti artists that decorate complete buildings in Mucha-style… Just google Mucha Street Art, and you’ll be amazed to see how these young artists are transforming (often ugly) buildings into eye-candy!
One segment where I have not seen any Art Nouveau reappearing yet is interior design. Now, I know I can only speak for the situation in The Netherlands, but I believe this isn’t any different in other countries: if you want to (re-)decorate your home in Art Nouveau style, you’ll not find it easy to locate the materials you need.
But I have found a solution for that: You may know that my husband and I bought our own Art Nouveau house a couple of years ago and we are fastidiously restoring it. Since 2012 I have been searching the world-wide web for materials to decorate our home in style once the plumbers and plasterers leave the premises. And I am not unhappy. I have been able to located a dozen craftsmen and small factories that produce the correct materials; wallpaper, carpets, fabrics, stained glass, tiles, hardware accessories and lighting. Extremely hard to find, but it’s all there! To help other owners of Art Nouveau properties, I started my own company: maisonartnouveau.nl. I am now importing beautiful, often handmade materials, and helping others with their period decorating. I would love to hear what you think!?
Being a devoted admirer, I sincerely hope this trend will continue and more initiatives will develop. Maybe this time – as this goal was not achieved the first time around – every man and every woman can indulge in the beauty of Art Nouveau.
Continue Reading:
Artyfactory.com – William Morris
Christies: Why Art Nouveau is back in vogue
Nancy: why is Art Nouveau more and more popular?
The Art Story – Art Nouveau
The New York Times Style Magazine
Will We Fall Back In Love With Sexy, Slinky Art Nouveau? (Forbes)
About Art Nouveau 
You are absolutely right about the many similarities in both time periods. Nothing would make me happier than a revival of Art Nouveau!
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Hi Jalf, thank you for reading my post and for your kind words. It’s nice to know you agree with me!
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I like to think you are right. In fact I choose to think you are. It is wonderful to see that you are restoring such an amazing home, and I salute your taste! We certainly do need beautiful things in our lives, perhaps now more than in recent years
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Dear Pauline, thank you for stopping by and reading my blogpost. And thank you for reblogging my story to your own followers! I am happy to hear you agree.
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Dear Olga, I would love to have you in our small private Art Nouveau museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. So, when u are travelling to Israel, pls let me know. I enjoy reading your blog. Tks, Anat
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Dear Anat, thank you for always reading my blog and for your kind words always. I would love to visit you and your Art Nouveau museum in Tel Aviv one day! As soon as I have plans to travel your way, I’ll contact you. Promise!
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Dear Seishonagon, thanks again for your interesting blog post! As you know, I also love Art Nouveau, but on this subject I do not agree with you. Art Nouveau may come back as an source of inspiration for modern designers, but it should not become a “neo-style”. For this was precisely what the Art Nouveau artists were against. Therefore I’m not fond of architects who build houses in a “fake” Art Nouveau style. Let us preserve and restore what we still have, as you do too in our hometown Dordrecht. And let the Art Nouveau further be a source of inspiration for modern designers like Eduardo Garcia Campos. His Butterfly Chairs are beautiful!
BTW: the artists in the 60’s were also inspired by Art Nouveau, but they didn’t copy the designs! They used their own colors, shapes and techniques. I love for instance the record sleeves of Santana!
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Dear Sipke, I know how much you love Art Nouveau. And I understand your comment. What it does, is teach me that I need to explain myself better.
First of all, let me emphasize that I am not an advocate of neo-Art Nouveau in architecture. I am merely pointing out a trend I am witnessing. I noticed some well-executed examples and many more not-so-well-executed examples. And that made me wonder why most neo-Art Nouveau buildings are, well, just wrong. That was my reason for writing my earlier post “Do today’s architects still have what it takes?” If they do decide to produce neo-Art Nouveau, why don’t they do it right?
But… I do want to be an advocate of Art Nouveau inspired art (even if that includes neo-Art Nouveau architecture) because… it makes people aware of the beauty of the original stuff. And that is how we can get people / organisations / governments to work on projects / laws / financial aid / scholarships etc. desperately needed to save the original Art Nouveau heritage.
One example: In october 2012 I traveled to Osijek, a town in the remote eastern part of Croatia. Nobody knows Osijek. But I discovered amazing Art Nouveau architecture there, severely damaged by the recent Balkan wars. In Osijek, no one is interested in saving these buildings, as people are still barely surviving financially from the war. I sent my photo’s to Route Art Nouveau in Barcelona, with a cry for help. The people in Barcelona contacted the responsible people in Osijek and explained them the value of this heritage (think aesthetically, but also think money as in tourism etc.). It took two years, but summer 2015, Osijek’s mayor signed the documents and now I can breathe again. Osijek has come to understand the value of it’s own heritage and now plans on saving it. And this would not have been possible without Route Art Nouveau in Barcelona and without Art Nouveau internationally being a popular trend. If no one in the world is interested in Art Nouveau, why would they invest in restoring these old buildings?
I approve of the current trend because I see it as a vehicle that will create the right circumstances needed to protect our Art Nouveau heritage. And I hope you agree with me now that I have explained myself better?
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On a recent (and my first) visit to Amsterdam, your recent posts inspired me to go away from the usual tourist hotpots for some of the time and to explore Art Nouveau architecture in Amsterdam. I had a wonderful time, greatly helped by a website called artnouveauamsterdam.com which had three free downloadable walks with details and photos of the most interesting places. I only had time to do two of the walks, I may have to come again! I really enjoyed seeing the ordinary streets, shops, cafes on these walks and my holiday companions were so impressed by what I saw that they ended up doing one of the walks, too
As to a revival of Art Nouveau, I have not seen much evidence of this here in the UK but I am retired and live in the countryside so may be out of touch!
However, I have taken up a new drawing style called Zentangle in the last couple of years and much of this reminds me of art Nouveau – there is even a pattern used called Mooka which has echoes of Mucha’s style. I think Art Nouveau is on a scale and organic style to appeal to our minds. I was fortunate to attend the big Art Nouveau exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2000 which was glorious. The catalogue is one of my most treasured books!
Thank you, I enjoy your blog!
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Dear Glenys,
I am só happy to hear, and in a way also proud, that I inspired you. Thank you for letting me know. Now you inspire me to continue to write.
I had not yet seen the Amsterdam website you mentioned. Thanks for the tip. I have added a link to the website and I have added their walks to my Itineraries list. Next time I go to amsterdam, I’ll bring the walks.
The Mooka pattern of Zentangle is a great example of Art Nouveau inspired art. (I had no idea this art was called Zentangle, but I’ve seen my daughter do it. Just showed her some examples and she was very exited.)
Thanks again for your kind words, and for reading my blog.
Olga
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Hy
I’ve recently discovered this blog, I like it so much, very interesting
I’m sure that Art-nouveau in back
Becouse people need something beautiful
I’m an italian architect, a town-planner, I love liberty, as we call it.
So, I ‘ve created a web site with only personal photos done in Europe with my husband (who is a photographer) during our journeys, the most of all by motorbike.
I like to collect not famous buildings like the ones in Monza and Lombardia, where I live
I hope you may appreciate it: http://bmagni.piwigo.com/
Barbara
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Dear Barbara,
Thank you for your kind words! I’ve looked at all your photos and I think they are great; the ones in Italy particularly! But I was most amazed by your photos of the Duha na Javorica Church in Zatolmin, Slovenia! Never seen this church before on photos so thank you for sharing this with us. I was in slovenia this summer, but I didn’t go that way into the mountains. Next time I will!
Thanks again for you beautiful photos en thank you for reading my blog.
Olga
Ps. I will share your album with my facebook & Twitter followers too!
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Olga,
thanks for all! also for sharing my album
Barbara
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Dear Olga,
EXPO 2015 in MIlan is closed (…).
Living in Monza, near Milan and being an architect and lover of the beauty of Art-Nouveau, at the beginning of Expo, I had decided to write about the style (liberty) and the story of Universal Exibition in Milan in 1906 against the gigantism of EXPO 2015.
I send you the note.
Few images of The Civic Aquarium of Milan are published in my website: http://bmagni.piwigo.com/index?/category/5-acquario_civico.
MILAN – A LOST OPPORTUNITY: THE INTERNATIONALEXIBITION OF 1906 AND THE CIVIC ACQUARIUM VERSUS EXPO 2015
THE INTERNATIONALEXIBITION OF 1906
Held in Milan from 28 April to early November, at the opening of the Simplon Tunnel, comes at a time of great excitement and full of novelty about transport of land, sea and air, security in transport, the fine arts and industrial arts.
The area occupied is about one million square meters and includes the park and the former area of the parade ground , connected by a railway suspended . About a third of the space is covered by the construction of many pavilions designed by leading architects of the time.
The numbers : 35 000 exhibitors , many foreigners , 5 million and a half visitors .
The former parade ground became permanent location, since 1923, of the Milan Fair.
THE CIVIC ACQUARIUM
Was built on the occasion of International Exhibition of Milan in 1906, considered as one of the best examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Milan, is the only evidence remaining of that Exhibition.
The building, destined to remain as an Institute of Hydrobiology, was conceived by the Milanese architect Sebastiano Locati, like a stable construction.
The building is of great interest not only for the original architectural structure, but also, for decorations in artificial stones and decorative tiles (Richard Ginori).
Severely damaged in August 1943 by aerial bombardment, was restored in the 60s preserving its original function.
The result of the conservation and redevelopment, completed in 2006 (arch. P. De Amicis, arch. L.M. Guffanti), the centenary of its construction, is to recover the rich array of decorative artificial stones and tiles.
This, accompanied, thanks to an intervention on the structures of the building, to the recovery of the interior with the formation of extensive spaces for teaching and for thematic exhibitions, the radical renewal of the exhibition, the tanks and the creation of new spaces for public activities such as library, auditoriums, laboratories.
It is the third oldest aquarium in europe and offers a detailed vision of all italian acquatic environments (lakes, rivers,…).
For these reasons it could have been the right link to EXPO 2015 and its original themes (food, environments, …).
It could have been the real link with the history of International Exhibitions in Milan and the proud starting point opposed to the Vanity Fair and its gigantism.
No EXPO funds have been allocated for the adaptation of outdoor pools and for the reception of visitors in the surrounding garden, almost abandoned.
Best wishis
Barbara
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Hi Barbara,
I have looked at your photo’s and they are just beautiful! What a spectacular tile panels! I’ll promote/share your photo’s on facebook and twitter in the coming days. Thank you for sharing this info with us all!
Olga
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Hi Olga, I’ve been a longtime fan of your blog for awhile now (my favorite posts are on the restoration of your AN house!) and wanted to chime in here on this post. I have liked Art Nouveau since I was 13, and living in a place where it is virtually unheard of (and non-existent), people would think it was weird when I told them that I was interested in art nouveau (back in high school). After creating and maintaining various AN communities over the years (I am now in my late 20’s) I can say more people are aware of art nouveau than have been for decades. Is it coming back full swing? Hard to say….but I DO believe AN has entered the public consciousness. When you mention Mucha or Klimt there’s a better chance of everyday people knowing those names than ten or twenty years ago I think…I can go to a local bookstore and there are rows of postcards and journals with art nouveau paintings on them. I also come across AN calendars and books displayed prominently a lot too at these places.
You are very correct in that AN has not come back into interior design just yet. I think maybe it has to do with costs though instead of style but who really knows? :p
There’s also recent movies with art nouveau (such as ‘Woman in Gold’ and ‘The Danish Girl’ – which I think brings back some aesthetics but I haven’t seen it yet) as a theme which are interesting (and bring it to the public).
I also think Mucha has been a big force in this mini-revival as his motifs are being recreated on t-shirts and in artworks (especially for the gaming world). I’ve always been a tad annoyed that his designs are now considered the entire art nouveau style/movement to some people – but at least it gets people interested!! 😀 😀
I now run an AN site on the website tumblr and have many many followers – which tells me there’s tremendous interest in this time period. As AN passes the 100 yr mark it becomes more valuable and sought after too. Overall I think the mini-revival will continue….not sure for how long but as people discover these gorgeous pieces of art from 100+ years ago they will find inspiration and a beauty which enriches living and their lives 😀 I think the future of this revival is in preserving what pieces and buildings are remaining so that future generations can enjoy. Sorry for the long post, I’m glad you are seeing the signs too!! 🙂 (and yes I think there is more awareness today than has been for a long time!!) -electra
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Hi Electra,
Thank you for your long and thorough comment. When you say you live in a place where Art Nouveau is “virtually unheard of (and non-existent)”, I wonder where you live?!? Also, you make me curious about the Tumblr page you run. Would you share the URL of your page on Tumblr with us? I would love to have a look.
The awareness is, to my opinion, crucial at the moment. We need to make as many people aware as possible, if we wish to save this fragile Art Nouveau heritage for future generations. Thank you for reading my blog, and for taking the time to write your kind words. And Electra, you are welcome to write long comments anytime!
Olga
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Hi again Olga, thanks for your reply! I live in the southern part of the U.S. (Texas) and back in the 90’s/early 2000’s when I was young and told people I liked art nouveau I always got a “What’s that?” response from people. I think things have definitely changed recently with awareness in the public – back then (before the internet) the only people who were really into AN it seemed to me, were art lovers or museum/gallery owners. Nowadays with all of the awareness there’s a greater chance of people knowing what it is (especially with the internet!).
When I say it’s non-existent I mean that I haven’t been able to really find original AN here in Texas (maybe I’m not looking hard enough hehe). I think, since it was a European style, that only the most ‘en vogue’/fashionable people would have known about it back in the 1900’s in Texas and only the wealthy could afford original pieces. There’s not really any original AN here (that I know of). We do however, have ‘Victorian’ and ‘Queen Anne’ style houses which I think are as close as it gets (and they can be very beautiful!). There is also a fair amount of Art Deco architecture in Dallas/Fort Worth which is great to look at.
Things have definitely changed with the public and awareness about this movement. I went to an art exhibition a few years ago at the Dallas Museum of Art which was about Art Nouveau (‘posters of paris’). I learned about illustrators I hadn’t heard of before (like Jane Atché) and got to see a lot of the artworks in person for the first time (I had never seen a mucha print in person before!).
I run Art Nouveau Style (www.artnouveaustyle.tumblr.com) which I started as a hobby for posting pretty things a few years ago. I was really surprised to see people follow it over the years and now spend a lot of time curating things for it. I started it as a companion blog to http://www.art-nouveau.livejournal.com which is where a lot of people back in the 2000’s talked about art nouveau (it was a fairly large community, over 3,000 users). It’s not nearly as active as it was but that’s where a lot of people discovered things before all of these social media sites.
P.S. I think you would like a tv show here called “Rehab Addict” (with Nicole Curtis). It’s about a woman who restores pre-ww2 houses and saves them from falling apart or being destroyed. Here’s where you can see some of the episodes: http://www.diynetwork.com/shows/rehab-addict/rehab-addict-full-episodes-videos 🙂
and thank you for your blog! I like to read about all of these places and see such beautiful things (I hope to eventually see in person these places someday!) 🙂 -electra
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Hi Electra,
Thank you for your complete story! I have taken some time to look at your tumblr and livejournal pages. What a wonderful job you did! Let’s stay in touch.
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OMG I love Art Nouveau…
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Isn’t it wonderful!?!?
You’ll love the rest of my blog as well 🙂
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Hi Olga, I cannot agree more about the similarities between today and the early times that made Art Nouveau emerge. There were at that time a threat of loss of humanity with all these machines replacing humans. And this is also the case today. Face-to-face conversations have been replaced by whatsapp conversations. Mobiles are polluting all our classic human interactions. How common it is today to see people looking at their mobiles in a meeting and not speaking to each other! We have lost communication in a society that boast the contrary. I believe craftsmanship stands today like a symbol of the lost humanity, as a symbol of eternity against the frenetic pace of our ephemeral world.
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Hi Christele, I know you are right. Yet at the same time I hope you turn out to be wrong in the long run… and that we learn and change our patterns, and go back to communicating face-to-face. In the mean time, let’s enjoy this ‘human’ art and share it with as many people as possible! Keep up the faith!
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How wonderful to encounter your blog! I agree that Art Nouveau is ripe for a resurgence – young people especially are seeking out the hand-made rather than the mass-produced, authenticity over plastic and slow over fast products. Of course art nouveau was never designed to be mass-produced (the sumptuous curves make that difficult) so it remains an expensive bespoke style not available to everyone. This may change, however, with new technologies like 3D printing and dimensionally stable manufactured timbers. We are entering an age of mass customisation, rather than mass production – key enablers of an accessible modern version of Art Nouveau.
Where I think modern designers fail is that the art schools today are not teaching the fundamentals of design the way they used to – the Golden Section is glossed over, colour theory is limited and fundamental skill development in drawing is given limited time in these institutions – at least they are in Australia, and I suspect it’s a worldwide trend.
At a personal level, and as a hobbyist woodworker I am working to introduce art nouveau elements into our decor – a desk inspired by Hector Guimard, cupboards styled after Gaudi and bookcases echoing elements of the Arts and Crafts movement. Like the key Art Nouveau artists I draw inspiration from the curves in nature – the whip-curve of a vine or the arch of the twigs on tree branches. So in some small way, I am bringing a hint of Art Nouveau into a 1970s plain Australian bungalow 🙂
Having travelled in France, Spain and the Netherlands I have now seen some wonderfully inspiring Art Nouveau original examples, and look forward to developing my skills further in pursuit of a finer aesthetic environment 🙂
I love your blog – keep up the great work!
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Hi Jerry, thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog and write me back! It is great to hear that even in Australia, Art Nouveau is re-emerging. I would love to see what you are creating down under! I agree with you on the part about the education of young artists; Also I feel like they don’t teach the real stuff anymore. (But that is not limited to the Arts department. I think that is the problem with any education nowadays.) Let’s hope this trend where people appreciate real craftsmanship again will continue and make our lives a little more beautiful everyday. One step at the time…
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Hi Olga, I have a couple of photos of the desk I am building inspired by one made by Hector Guimard – it is not finished yet, but sometimes it is good to see a work in progress 🙂
Cheers
Jerry
Canberra, Australia
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Hi Jerry, thank you for sharing your wonderful craftwork with us. I can see the organic shapes in your desk. Keep up the good work! You may be interested in this cabinetmaker I know: http://www.ericblom.com/project/organische-vormgeving
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How about this Russian jewellery designer. Isn’t he the new Lalique?
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Great work! Yes he could be the new Lalique 🙂 He’s definitely inspired by AN! Also I finished the desk – I even found a reproduction AN lamp in Germany …
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And here is a closer look…
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Excellent, and a lovely lamp as well!!!
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Ah yes, the laptop is a little out of time 🙂 Perhaps I should have used the notebook and fountain pen there instead 😉 But then we are people of our time, as was Monsieur Guimard of his 🙂
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Russian Contemporary project by architectural bureau Dmitry Velichkin and Nikolay Golovanov: https://salon.ru/article/imya-sobstvennoe-7794
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I love that house!
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It occurs to me that one reason Art Nouveau went out of style is that it was expensive to produce, as it all had to be handcrafted. These days, I suspect it could stay around for longer, as CNC carving machines and 3D printing can produce complex shapes for the same effort as simple ones, making it easier for companies to produce items for mass-customisation, rather than mere mass production.
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Hi Jerry, I think you might be right. We used a CNC for our Art Nouveau kitchen. I haven’t posted about my kitchen yet, but you can see the design on my other website: https://maisonartnouveau.nl/art-nouveau-interieur-advies/art-nouveau-keuken/ My criteria were 1. must be recognised as Art Nouveau at first glance and 2. must be possible to produce with CNC. Otherwise it would be too expensive to produce these days. What do you think?
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