Art Nouveau

The exuberant fin de siècle style is celebrated in a sweeping exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington

  • By Stanley Meisler
  • Smithsonian magazine, October 2000, Subscribe
 

As the 20th century neared, more than a hundred years ago, artists andintellectuals and merchants throughout Europe and in the United States tried to whip art into new shapes so it could keep pace with the ever-changing modern world. This frenzy to throw off the stultifying past excited artists and craftspeople, dealers and shopkeepers. Since they believed they were creating everything anew, their style is best known today as Art Nouveau, French for "new art."

In April, London's Victoria and Albert Museum opened the largestexhibition of Art Nouveau ever assembled. The show, expanded even more,comes to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on October 8, 2000.

The exhibition examines the number of cities that emerged as busy workshops for the new creativity, and the artists whose names have become synonymous with it: French architect Hector Guimard, Czech-born illustrator Alphonse Mucha, Belgian architect Victor Horta and American glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The whiplash curves and exotic women that often characterized Art Nouveau works eventually fell out of fashion, and by 1914 the style was moribund. All in all, Art Nouveau was simply not modern enough. But no matter where it stands in art history, Art Nouveau a hundred years later strikes us as pleasing, often refreshing, sometimes worthy of awe and always kind of fun.


As the 20th century neared, more than a hundred years ago, artists andintellectuals and merchants throughout Europe and in the United States tried to whip art into new shapes so it could keep pace with the ever-changing modern world. This frenzy to throw off the stultifying past excited artists and craftspeople, dealers and shopkeepers. Since they believed they were creating everything anew, their style is best known today as Art Nouveau, French for "new art."

In April, London's Victoria and Albert Museum opened the largestexhibition of Art Nouveau ever assembled. The show, expanded even more,comes to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on October 8, 2000.

The exhibition examines the number of cities that emerged as busy workshops for the new creativity, and the artists whose names have become synonymous with it: French architect Hector Guimard, Czech-born illustrator Alphonse Mucha, Belgian architect Victor Horta and American glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The whiplash curves and exotic women that often characterized Art Nouveau works eventually fell out of fashion, and by 1914 the style was moribund. All in all, Art Nouveau was simply not modern enough. But no matter where it stands in art history, Art Nouveau a hundred years later strikes us as pleasing, often refreshing, sometimes worthy of awe and always kind of fun.

    Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.


 

Add New Comment


Name: (required)

Email: (required)

Comment:

Comments are moderated, and will not appear until Smithsonian.com has approved them. Smithsonian reserves the right not to post any comments that are unlawful, threatening, offensive, defamatory, invasive of a person's privacy, inappropriate, confidential or proprietary, political messages, product endorsements, or other content that might otherwise violate any laws or policies.

Comments (2)

Hi,

For your information, I have just made a video on the Maison Autrique (located in Brussels, Belgium). The Autrique House is the very first striking building Victor Horta designed. It was built in 1893 and it's a major part of Brussels' architectural patrimonium. It underwent an exemplary restoration and is now open to the public.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiNlOpwZULA

Posted by Erminio on May 30,2011 | 09:04 AM

Hi i'm doing some study at university in palmerston north, new zealand. if you can could you please email me ideas on the following, would be appriated. "art nouveau, what influance does it have on todays art be it buildings, jewerllery etc" looking forward to hearing from you regards Craig

Posted by Craig Innes on May 24,2009 | 09:11 PM



Advertisement