ART NOUVEAU
Art Nouveau appears at the end of the 19th century and spreads widely across Europe and the United States. It draws inspiration from the Japanese, Oriental, Byzantine and Celtic arts as well as Impressionism. The peculiarities of the style are highlighted decoration and strong interest in the ornament and curve line. Stylised floral motifs and human images combined with asymmetric compositions are used. The emotional suggestions that are inherent in style are: refinement, elegancy, spirituality, variability, expressiveness, romance, love, tenderness, nostalgia, dreaminess.
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Origin of Art Nouveau.
On the one hand, it is the English Arts and Crafts movement from the middle of the nineteenth century and headed by William Morris. The basis of this movement is Morris's idea of affirming the value of handmade handicrafts against the industrial products. His followers replace cheap mass production with quality handmade items. They stem from the beauty of natural forms, the tradition of old medieval styles and folklore.
On the other hand, the ideas of Art Nouveau are also based on the works of Augustus Pugin, who seeks reforming society through the plastic forms of Gothic, which he considers to be the bearer of Christian values.The artists and designers of the 1990s developed the ideas of Puigin and Morris and enriched them with new forms and materials. This also determines the aesthetic basis of the new style. The materials used for everyday use are very high quality.
It has been assumed that all forms of plastic visualisation are equally valuable (until this moment it is believed that such activities are under the artist's dignity.)
The essence of Art Nouveau is that the art shape is particularly important, it is even more important than the content and even the most prosaic content can be represented in a highly artistic shape.
Another important aesthetic feature is the appearance of the female figure. Portraits of women are common in this style. The most common image is just a woman as a center of composition, in the way that the figure is an integral part of the ornament in the whole.
The art of posters is also developing in Paris.The emblem of this art becomes Alphonse Mucha. He designs theatrical posters and settings, but also made designs multiple packaging and patterns for mass consumption. Frequently used in them are stylised images of women whose long hair has been turned into complex decorative ornaments.
Like many of his peers Toulouse Lautrec follows the principles of Japanese engraving, which is based on the flat construction of the shapes, the exaggerated facial expressions and the strong theatrical compositions. The objects of his inspiration are dancers, actresses, singers, courtesans. He works a lot in the field of poster and advertising, raising this genre to the level of real art.
Gustav Klimt is the leading figure of the Vienna Secession. His works are very decorative and filled with erotism. Again, the woman is his main inspiration and is elevated to a cult.
In conclusion, Art Nouveau is one of the last attempts to create a common style in plastic arts, architecture, interior and furniture design, poster, book design, and more.
The aim of the architect, the artist, the designer is the creation of a synthetically complete work of art that enters the private life of man through the items that surrounds him. That's why this style is cosmopolitan.
As far as Art Nouveau artists and designers are concerned, it can be said that they develop and enrich the ideas of Pugin and Morris, and because of everything listed above we can define their work as a top-class art.
