Art Nouveau

 Art Nouveau

4 February, 2023

Art Nouveau is known to be a type of design that came from the British. The term Art Nouveau is meant to mean "new art". This movement effects most of Europe, however, also had an influence in western cultures too. When you think of Art Nouveau, curves, colors, and whimsical design comes to mind. Part of the reason for the playful-like design is because of the rejection of the design era before which was the Victorian era. 


In the image above you can see one of the main characteristics of the Art Nouveau style, which is curves. The detail put into the style can be showcased in the many curves and turns to manipulate the space and turn the room or surrounding area into what the designer wants. 


The image above is an example of Art Nouveau architecture in Spain. In the Casa Batllo facade you can see the great detail weather its the glass tiles or the various curves used throughout the walls and balconies. When dissecting the building you can tell how the design mimics nature. Art Nouveau gets inspiration from nature such as trees, flowers, and etc. The organic shapes used in this type of design is a direct correlation to the organic shapes found in nature. 


The materials most commonly used with the style Art Nouveau was iron, glass, and art work played a huge part in the production of the style. As seen in the image above you can see the iron poles that are manufactured with curves. Art work was another important part of the style. Many times art work such as sculptures and paintings were incorporated into the walls and ceilings. 


Modern day Art Nouveau looks similar to how it did when the style first came to popularity. The style in modern day can still be seen with the same whimsical child-like design, however more neutral colors can be used to appeal to the modern side of design now-a-days. 



Art Nouveau can be most commonly shown in ceilings. In many modern day buildings, glass ceilings like in the image above are put in to showcase the elegant style of Art Nouveau. The Iron rod used in the ceiling and the glass are two huge components used in Art Nouveau.


Art Nouveau can be seen in furniture and different features in a house. Such as this fire place and the chairs in the back are an example of Art Nouveau. In modern day design, Art Nouveau is used to create a unique and organic space.

One Step Further: Victor Horta

Victor Horta is known to be one of the most influential designers of this movement. He was a Belgian Architect who went to school at Department of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. Horta created many spaces that were Art Nouveau influenced and was believed to be the Father of the Art Nouveau movement. 


The image above is one of Horta's most famous projects. the design and curves used in the iron railing and the detailed paintings on the wall is a symbol of the Art Nouveau movement.

Comments

  1. Kahlan DyonFebruary 3, 2023 at 11:50 AM

    Eva,
    I liked how your blog focused on the details of the Art nouveau. In this period of design I think what was very important was incorporating new art through their space by including curves and glass was very essential. My favorite building was the Casa Battlo in Spain also. I loved the use of color, curves and how it incorporates natural elements in the facade. I liked that you included many images of buildings that were included with the details that you mentioned previously in your blog. I really enjoyed your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Izabella CleavelandFebruary 3, 2023 at 12:13 PM

    Eva,
    The first image you used really stood out to be with the curvature in the ceiling. I liked that you focused more on the curvature design that Art Nouveau brought rather than just focusing on the modern and manufacturing side. I also liked your second image because it still has that curve design while also incorporating nature into the design from the Japanese art period. For your "one set further," I also did Victor Hector and found so many interesting facts about him and his design journey especially on the four houses he designed which has the staircase in it that is pictured in your blog. I hope you as well found him as interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaFebruary 4, 2023 at 9:44 AM

    Eva,
    Your Blog entry this week was a great introduction to Art Nouveau. You gave a brief history of the evolution into Art Nouveau and then shared some wonderful images of examples from Spain such as Casa Batllo. I appreciate your discussion of materials and images that show these details.
    Your choice of looking further in Victor Horta was good. Your information on him was very brief- please gives us more information in one Step Further.
    This blog entry was a great start. If you would like to gain more points next time give us more information and details.
    Total Points 40/50.

    ReplyDelete

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