History & Practice Session 3: The Fin De Siècle

Art Nouveau was an international style that flourished between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. It arose as an opposition to the conservative historicism of the 19th Century, and largely concerned itself with breaking the discriminatory barrier between fine arts and applied arts.

The style stemmed from the Arts & Crafts Movement in Britain, driven by the likes of Morris, Crane and Beardsley. The flat florals and flowing curves in the work of these artists were somewhat early prototypes of Art Nouveau, which grew to be typically characterised by whiplash lines and nature-inspired designs. However, each country had its own interpretation of the style.

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'Modern Style' in Glasgow

​Also known as 'Glasgow Style', ​this was Britain's interpretation of Art Nouveau. It was particularly prevalent in the Scottish city of Glasgow, which became a national hotspot for the style. 

Arguably the most well-known Scottish artist to be associated with Art Nouveau was Charles Rennie Mackintosh, an architect heavily influenced by Japonisme and modernism. Together with his wife Margaret MacDonald, her sister Frances and Frances' husband Herbert MacNair (collectively known as 'The Four' in The Glasgow School), he was one of the main names to drive the style forwards in Britain.

Britain's take on Art Nouveau focused on the idea of restraint and simplicity versus extravagance and ornament. Mackintosh's work in particular is a prime example of this, featuring bold and simple geometric patterns with subtle, contrasting curves, often in the form of floral flourishes (the "Mackintosh rose"). Such patterns clearly showed influence from Japonisme, the Arts & Crafts movement, and the Celtic revival - Glaswegian Art Nouveau manages to blend the nationalistic aesthetics of traditional Scotland with the organic simplicity of the orient, combining them into functional, yet visually striking art.
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The Willow Tea Rooms - C.R Mackintosh

Hill House - CR Mackintosh

Scotland Street School Museum - CR Mackintosh

​'École de Nancy' in France

 
Aside from Paris, the city of Nancy in the Lorraine region was France's capital of Art Nouveau. At the time, with the influx of French artisans from Lorraine after it was claimed by the Germans, Nancy became a political, cultural and manufacturing capital. Then, led by glassmaker Émile Gallé, the 'École de Nancy' was founded in 1901.

The group consisted of craftsmen who sought to adapt the arts to the industrial methods of manufacture; the goal was to mass produce ordinary objects but with fine craftmanship and original flair, providing works of art for the everyday home. The École believed in "art in all, art for all", and sought to link the arts with industry whilst upsetting the hierarchy that held fine arts above applied arts.

Their style was heavily inspired by nature, favouring flora and fauna local to the region. Gallé in particular, as a trained botanist, focused his designs on floral and botanical motifs. Decadent detail was also a recognised feature of the style, along with Japonisme-inspired simplicity that sought to capture the essence of nature. Overall - seen best in the works of Gallé, furniture maker Louis Majorelle and glassmaker René Lalique - the Art Nouveau of Nancy was both decadent and ordinary, in a way, adapting traditional craftmanship to new industrial processes.

'Villa Majorelle' - L Majorelle

Dragonfly corsage ornament - R Lalique

Vase - E Gallé

'Vienna Secession' in Vienna

The Viennese variation of Art Nouveau emerged as the 'Vienna Secession', a group of artists and artisans founded in 1897. They were concerned primarily with opposing Vienna's conservative orientation towards historicism and more traditional styles - they wanted to renew the reputation of decorative arts, and equally unite all artistic trades under one broad label.

Viennese Art Nouveau was typically characterised by geometric designs, and a tendency to put function before form. Notable members of the Secession included artist Koloman Moser, and architects  Josef Hoffmann and Otto Wagner (interestingly, Mackintosh reappears as a driving force in Viennese Art Nouveau as well as British). One quote in particular, the words of Hoffmann, sums the entire style up rather well in my opinion - ​"a harmonious ensemble of great simplicity adapted to the individual".

'Kirche am Steinhof' - O Wagner

Artwork by K Moser

'Sanatorium Purkersdorf' - J Hoffmann

'Modernismo Madrileño​' in Madrid

Madrid's variation of Art Nouveau was somewhat more eclectic than others; it drew influence from a range of other variations, including French, Viennese, Belgian and Italian as well as its own traditional Catalan. Though it still featured natural and vegetal motifs, it was less decorated and somewhat less colourful than other forms of Art Nouveau, often favouring plain, pale, natural colours in its architecture.

Mainly focusing on architecture, prominent features of modernismo madrileño include the use of wrought iron, ceramic and mosaic, and floral stained glass. Notable names include the architects José López Sallaberry, Fernando Arbós y Tremanti and José Grases Riera.

'Cementerio de la Almudena' - F Tremanti

'Casino de Madrid' - J Sallaberry

'Longoria Palace' - J Riera