Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau

Nouveau is an artistic movement in European and American art, which began to develop at the turn of 19th and 20th century. The Art Nouveau was a response against academic tendencies and imitation of the ancient art and also a protest against the factory mass production. 

An ambition to the stylish unity of art was an essence of Art Nouveau, thanks to integration of action in different fields, with particular reference to the handicraft, the interior design, sculpture and the graphics. 

In individual countries this avant-garde artistic movement took different names: in Germany - Jugendstil, in France - Art Nouveau, in Great Britain - of Modernisms Styles, in Italy - Libertà. 

There are five distinctive features for the Nouveau art: the asymmetry, curved line and the distinct outline using flat colourful stain, often with light pastel colours, as well as the diversity of applied materials and finally the decorative art coming to world of the nature, but sometimes straight out following the example of forces of nature. 

The colours in Art Nouveau are subtle and muted and include pastels. 

Walls are decorated with floral wallpaper or plant patterns. The materials used in Art Nouveau are stained glass, hardwood, and iron.  Art Nouveau is nature-inspired and eco-friendly as it allows use of hardwood and organically painted wallpaper.

For me Art Nouveau is not as fascinating as Art Deco, however Deco style was influenced by Nouvau’s form of decorative art. From my personal point of view Nouvau looks too disordered and is lacking functionality and simplicity of Deco style.