Art Nouveau

 “The unfolding of Art Nouveau’s flowing line may be understood as a metaphor for the freedom and release sought by its practitioners and admirers from the weight of artistic tradition and critical expectations.”

-Cybele Gontar

The history of Art Nouveau begins between the 1880’s and 90’s, more specifically noted in 1884 with the introduction of a Belgian group that advocated on behalf of the style (Gontar, Lavallée). A handful of artists across Europe sought to develop a movement that would strip away the dichotomy of applied and fine arts, and welcome in a more inclusive and productive era of the industry (Lavallée). Coined as Art Nouveau, or “new art”, this movement was a beautiful combination of two others: The Arts and Crafts Movement and the Aesthetic Movement. The former advocated for the return and emphasis of handmade work while the latter, among other things, focused on non-narrative art (Gontar). The conceit of Art Nouveau was to create beautiful visuals through all art forms from graphics to furniture to jewelry.

“Not a station, not a shop, not a viaduct, not a bridge should be built without having been designed in the studio in an artistic and modern fashion.” 

- Otto Wagner

As a result of different artists working in various art forms within diverse countries, the visual style of Art Nouveau is quite broad. However, there were still some characteristics that persisted regardless of its creator and their origin. Namely, features of Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Japonisme, and French Rococo built the foundation for the style. Noted qualities of most, if not all the points of inspiration, are abstracted depictions of nature that emphasize feeling over realism. Mimicking the style of Japanese art led to flat designs with bold colors and empty spaces (Ives). Post-Impressionism and Symbolism influenced the symbolic content that showed up in pieces (“Impressionism and Post-Impressionism”). The French Rococo style heavily featured curves, details, and patterns (“18th Century - The Rococo and Watteau”). All these inspirations led to Art Nouveau being a melting pot of new ideas, a love letter to nature and to creativity. 

The following artists will be featured for their innovative work in planting the seed of Art Nouveau into the current culture, enriching its history:

• Les XX, or Les Vingt

• Victor Horta

• Margaret Mackdonald Mackintosh

• Emile Gallé

• René Lalique

• Gustav Klimt

Les XX

Run by Octave Maus, Les XX was an organization founded on the basis of growth. Its origins started in Belgium, where Maus and others parted from L’Essor, an artist institution that would host exhibitions, as they were tired of the restrictive nature of the program. Now with no restraints, they would host a number of their own exhibitions in Belgium that would feature artists around the world that presented many different styles, including Art Nouveau as it was counter-culture (Block). Friend and fellow member of Les XX, Edmond Picard, even actively antagonized artists he deemed guilty of perpetrating traditionalist artistic teachings. Despite its controversial nature, this program helped expose the public to the richness and freedom of the Art Nouveau movement and its principles (Block).

Victor Horta

Known as the “father of Belgian Art Nouveau”, the fabulous designer Victor Horta designed his magnum opus, the Hôtel Tassel in 1892 (Lavallée). Here he utilizes many traits of Art Nouveau: The walls are decorated with swirling lines that, due to their color, are reminiscent of vines. This pulls in not only the Japanese (or French Rococo) inspiration of fantastical geometry but also the nature motif seen in so many pieces from the movement. Horta himself declared that nature was “the only source of imitation he considered permissible” (Lavallée). The winding staircase has a beautiful case of juxtaposition with the wood to marble paneling. The transition is garish in a way that supports the Art Nouveau movement’s want to drift as far away from traditional art foundations as possible. Both setpieces display a sort of fun and artistry not expected from something as banal and utilitarian as a staircase. Horta dared to combine the mundane with the beautiful, forging architecture and print together to make once in a lifetime works of art.

Victor Horta, The House of Tassels, 1892, steel, glass, wood, marble, 

Brussels, The World Heritage Collection 

(photograph © OUR PLACE The World Heritage Collection / Amos Chappele)

Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh

While often talked about in tandem with her well-celebrated husband, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh was herself a great contributor to the Art Nouveau movement. An extension of said movement was the Glasgow style, popularized at the Glasgow School of Art (Helland). This beautiful piece, titled The May Queen, combines beads, twine, burlap, and more to make this captivating multimedia work of art, falling in line with the movement’s goal of unifying all forms of art (Ingram Gallery). It is impressively detailed and layered with a flower-decorated, pastel background. This is not to mention the subject of the piece who’s strongly resembles the style of Japanese artists like Kunisada (Ulak). With a simple background, Japonisme art style, floral arrangements, and adventurous delivery, Mackintosh added a richness to the Art Nouveau movement with a feminine touch.

Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. The May Queen (detail), 1900. Made for the Ladies’ Luncheon Room, Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street Tearooms, Glasgow. Gesso on burlap (hessian), scrim, twine, glass beads, thread, and tin leaf, 62 1/2 x 179 7/8 in. overall. Glasgow Museums: Acquired by Glasgow Corporation as part of the Ingram Street Tearooms, 1950. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection. Courtesy American Federation of Arts

Emile Gallé

Making ceramics since birth, Gallé hopped into the Art Nouveau scene and secured a place for himself with ease (Lebovici). Utilizing his knowledge of the applied arts, he made beautiful pieces like these vases and decorated them with scenic nature vistas and lovely fields of flowers. He features the bold colors cherished by Art Nouveau and its predecessors, and though it may not be a literal interpretation of nature scenes, it invokes the same feeling of whimsy and comfort. Art Nouveau pieces are often purposefully flat, but Gallé manages a lot of depth, the curve of his canvas only adding to it. The reliefs he carved onto these vases also adds to its dimension, a wonderful act of innovation in the arts (Lebovici). Through the mind and careful hands of Gallé, even vases could become vibrant works.

Art Nouveau vases by Emile Gallé, triple overlay glass, after 1890 (private collection); photo credit: Art Resource, NY

René-Jules Lalique

A well-traveled glassmaker and jeweler, Lalique has crafted many stunning pieces that still remain timeless centuries after its creation. His notable quirk in his process was that he rarely if ever used high-end jewels like diamonds for his pieces, instead lower-quality ones (Brisac). Art Nouveau is all about accessibility, and Lalique’s self-imposed standard revealed the beauty of even the least precious of gems, implying that they all had a place in art, just as the movement preached that all artists had a place.  As expected, he also heavily referenced nature in his work, emulating a butterfly’s wings in this depiction of a fairy. The piece is shimmering, bold, and delicate, reflective of both the rest of Lalique’s catalog as well as nature itself, a perfect representation.

Untitled Brooch by René-Jules Lalique, gold, gemstones, after 1880 (private collection) 

Gustav Klimt

Most known for his sensual painting, The Kiss, Klimt’s work brought in a cherished addition to the Art Nouveau movement in its fading days (Vergo). This multimedia piece combines both the abstract and the natural into one charming painting. The empty, flat background, the multimedia outfit, the naturalistic take on a woman’s portrait, it all works together. In a movement that embraced such counter-cultural sensibilities, as seen with Picard and Les XX, Klimt embraced both the traditional and the new, making something that feels entirely fresh. Though there has never been a right answer in regards to the feud, daring to challenge both ideologies opens up the door for even more ways to create, supporting the cause behind Art Nouveau. 

Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt, oil, silver, and gold on canvas, 140 cm x 140 cm overall,

 1907, Neue Gallerie, New York

Modern Day: Scott Christian Sava

In the current year, how does one identify an Art Nouveau piece? Though the movement has died, the legacy remains, but is there still a place for it in the modern landscape? Scott Christian Sava believes so, referencing the style of painter Alphonse Mucha in his most recent Nouveau-inspired works. The flat background, swirling lines, bold colors, thick outlines, and nature themed panels return the viewer to the late 19th century, if just for a moment, before returning them to the present day with its subject matter and obvious use of modern art tools. In the same vein as Klimt, Sava wants to use both his newly acquired knowledge of the art of today plus the research of the art of yesterday. While not bound to last, the movement was sure to influence a future looking for innovation.

Untitled Work by Scott Christian Sava, ink and watercolor on cold press paper, 2022, Steal Like An Artist Collection, Tennessee

Final Thoughts

I believed I had a decent understanding of the Art Nouveau movement from observing Sava’s content. Researching it has led me to discover that I was only gazing at the tip of the iceberg. The history is so rich and so electric, hungry for change and willing to turn heads. It feels refreshing even as I look at it in retrospect. Most art trends are meant to act as some kind of reaction to the current culture, but the inclusivity preached within this one really drove home the importance of the Art Nouveau movement in particular. Art should always be for everyone and it should apply to everything, not just paintings and sculptures. I think as a society we tend to drift back to the Renaissance period when thinking of how art of the past used to be, but back then, there were still people yearning for a different wave and to be part of said wave. And a century later, people were able to act upon the urge to shake things up. In some ways we still do, but in others, I know there are people waiting to break out of the mold yet again. 

“We do not recognize any difference between great and minor art, between the art of the rich and that of the poor. Art belongs to all.”

- The Sezessionstil,

 a Vienna organization that supported

and exhibited Art Nouveau

Bibliography

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Mackintosh, Margaret Mackdonald. “The May Queen.” Made for the Ladies’ Luncheon Room, Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street Tearooms, Glasgow. Gesso on burlap (hessian), scrim, twine, glass beads, thread, and tin leaf, 62 1/2 x 179 7/8 in. overall. Frist Art Museum, 2021. Frist Art Museum. Nashville. https://fristartmuseum.org/exhibition/designing-the-new-charles-rennie-mackintosh-and-the-glasgow-style/. 

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