Art Nouveau

By the late 19th century, London remained stuck in its historicist styles despite its thirst for innovation. This wasn't the case in Paris, Brussels or Barcelona where a new generation of designers wanted to create a fresh decorative language. It was called Art Nouveau (New Art) and by the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, this new style had advanced across Europe, New York and Chicago.
These designers were influenced from the previous movements, Rococo in France, Celtic art, Japanese art, Egyptian art and mostly nature. Art Nouveau became an international style but it was also known with different names in different countries, such as:

- Sezessionstil in Vienna, Austria
- Jugenstil in Germany (meaning 'young style')
- Stile Liberty in Italy (meaning 'liberty style')

Art Nouveau was highly influenced from the Arts and Crafts movement by the use of nature. Designers from the Vienna Secession such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Josef Maria Olbrich, introduced abstracted naturalistic forms to design that were curvilinear while other artists pioneered the use of whiplash motifs.

Whiplash curves

Art Nouveau's style included swerving lines having many curves and turns often with floral characters. This famous image shows a piece of work done by the Belgian architect Victor Horta. Horta got inspired after the exhibition held in 1892 and was commissioned to design a home for the professor Emile Tassel which he transfused it into the Hotel Tassel in 1893 (the image on the side).

Art Nouveau designers objected to borrow design ideas from previous periods and from other cultures, although the Japanese approach to nature was much admired and emulated. One of the major ways that these designers created a modern look was to take inspiration from art forms outside Europe. Japanese art and culture was profoundly influential on European design after 1853 when Japan opened itself to the West.

The original Japanese art compared to an imitation of it looking more like pop art.

A major step that made a huge impact was the invention of the incandescent light bulb in 1879 by Thomas Edison. Electricity lit up the streets of New York and Art Nouveau's whiplash line that suggested a pulsing electric wave which dominated the style in the following decades.

Later on, in 1908 was invented the first automobile the 'Model T' by Henry Ford (image below). In 1903, Ford proclaimed that he will built a car for the great multitude and five years later he not only built a car but he was also the owner of the Ford Motor Company which is still running in the present.

An important artist in this era was Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Together with his wife Margaret MacDonald they worked on multiple projects. They introduced the balance of opposites in their designs by using light with dark and modern with tradition. The below image shows a number of chairs designed by Mackintosh where he combined the Gothic and modern style.

References:

Beau Preston, 2013. The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. [image online] Available at: http://beauyfett.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/the-great-wave/ [Accessed 1st November 2013]

Andreas Ramos, 2008. Hohusai (1760-1849). [image online] Available at: http://andreas.com/hokusai.html [Accessed 27th October 2013]

Unesco, 2000. Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta. [image online] Available at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1005 [Accessed 26th October 2013]

The Franklin Institute, 2013. Edison's Lightbulb. [image online] Available at: http://www.fi.edu/learn/sci-tech/edison-lightbulb/edison-lightbulb.php?cts=electricity [Accessed 26th October 2013]

New World Encyclopedia, 2012. Art Nouveau. [online] Available at: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Art_Nouveau [Accessed 26th October 2013]

Time Lists, n.d. 1909 Ford Model T. [image online] Available at: http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1657686_1657663,00.html [Accessed 26th October 2013]

Cari, 2009. Design Icons of the 20th Century. [image online] Available at: http://www.sketchmyworld.com/design-icons-20th-century-pt-1/ [Accessed 26th October 2013]

Ferebee, A. and Byles, J. 2011. A History Of Design From The Victorian Era To The Present. Second Edition. New York; Litton Education Publishing.

Escritt, S. 2000. Art Nouveau. New York; Phaidon Press Limited.