The Art Nouveau Movement began in 1890 in England and lasted until 1910. Something that I found very interesting is that the term Art Nouveau came from the name of a Samuel Bing's shop in Paris which was called L'Art Nouveau". This movement was inspired by medieval history and was a rejection of the Victorian style. Art Nouveau was not only influential with the design of architecture but also interiors, artwork, jewelry, and graphic design.
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| Carson Pirie Scott Store Chicago, Illinois |
Art Nouveau is known for its curvy lines. The most famous was the whiplash design. When looking at the various different designs that came from this movement you can also see that Art Nouveau was greatly inspired by nature. Flowers and branches are a prominent design in many Art Nouveau designs. Another style that was commonly used with the Art Nouveau movement was the female form. Most often they were depicted in long flowy apparel.
In Art Nouveau architecture, it was very common that the ornamentation and the building blended together. I believe this is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Art Nouveau movement. The buildings exterior and interior flow in a unique way that stand out from all other movements.
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| Example Of Art Nouveau Furniture |
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| Example Of Modern Art Nouveau Interior |
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| Example Of Modern Art Nouveau Furniture |
One Step Further
Victor Horta was an architect, designer, and teacher. He is thought to be one of the most influential designers in the Art Nouveau movement.
At the age of 12, Victor Horta began helping his uncle on construction sites. This sparked his interest in architecture. He was also very interested in music. He began his studies in music but was eventually expelled. Only after did he decide to join the department of architecture. He was eventually given the title Barron by King Albert of Belgium.
He is particularly famous for his unique iron railing. Another prominent aspect of his designs was the use of stencil work on the walls and ceilings. His most famous stencil design was called the whiplash curves.
One of his most famous works was the Hotel van Etvelde 1895-1897. It is particularly known for the blue-green stain glass ceiling that encased the octagonal hallway below.
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| Hotel van Etvelde |
One of my favorites of his designs was the balustrade in Hotel Solvay. It is absolutely beautiful with curved metal and wood.
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| Hotel Solvay Balustrade |
I like the design of the balustrade in Hotel Solvay as well. Victor Horta was an amazing designer. I like that the design of the balustrade incorporated the use of wood, a material that we do not see a lot of in Art Nouveau since iron and glass were most common. I like the way that this combines both the wood and the metal. It almost looks like two different branches from nature that are tangled.
ReplyDeleteChristyAnne- Very nice summary! I love that you included the Carson Pirie Scott building. Have you had a chance to see it in person? Very nice examples of furniture from the Art Nouveau period. Victor Horta is one of my favorites! I tried to see his works while in Belgium but they were not open to the public. Hotel Solvay Balustrade is amazing thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteJust like you said, during the Art Nouveau period, it was very important that the ornamentation and the building blended together. I found it very interesting how with all the different curves which are usually not the easiest to work with, they were able to blend it all together pretty well. I also found it interesting how Victor Horta already got interested in Architecture as early as 12 years old and eventually became a successful one.
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