Hotel Tassel, Brussels, Belgium, by Victor Horta
Job by Alfons Mucha, 1897
29 Avenue Rapp, Paris, by Jules Lavirotte; Picture by photigule, Flickr IDArt Nouveau was an influential artistic movement of the late 19th century that aimed to break away from the tradition of Europe's "academic" art, which emphasized proper standards, repetition of historic art forms, and correct tastes. Its name, a French term, literally means "new art," and is also known as Jugenstil, a German term for "youth style."
Art Nouveau is generally characterized by the use of flowing and curved lines, which are inspired from organic and floral forms. Because the artists of Art Nouveau shunned using clichés of elements and styles that were already created in the past, including those constituting classicism, they instead explored "uncluttered" forms that are found in nature in order to create "new art."
Another very interesting characteristic of the Art Nouveau movement is that it refused to distinguish between lower, "applied" art and higher, "free" art. From decorative arts, such as ordinary household utensils, furniture, silverware, jewelry, to architecture and visual arts, the artists of Art Nouveau wanted to equally control, give attention, and exquisitely design all of them. Art is to permeate and influence a way of life.
The Writing in Progress...
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau
http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_intro.shtm
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