Art Nouveau

By: Amanda Deaver & Rachel Fronius

Background

Spanned from 1890 to 1920.

Seen in many European countries, main centers within France.

Came after Neoclassicism, before Art Deco

This period embraced all mediums of art, from the more traditional paint and print, to architecture and the applied arts.

This movement was inspired by the Industrial Revolution and a need to not copy the past and to be more innovative.

Movement Characteristics

Took from natural sources in the way of using more organic forms.

Showed urban growth.

Restated the crafting tradition.

Set out to divide the applied and combined arts.

Created curvilinear lines (curving, waving).

These were seen heavily in architecture, as well as the use of vines and leaves.

Alphonse Marie Mucha (1860-1939)

Born in the Czech Republic

Began vocalist work at an early age, only drawing as a hobby.

Traveled around Europe in a effort to broaden his artistic horizons.

1894: He created a poster advertising a play, which gained much attention. This really gave his art career a start.

He worked by the ideal that art was created only to deliver a spiritual message.

He later died of pneumonia in Prague.

Soon after his death, his style was considered outdated, but it has been revived during many time periods, most prominently in the psychedelic art of the 60’s.

Characteristics

His works often contained beautiful young women.

High use of flowing lines, mainly in cloth (reminiscent of Neoclassicism)

Many flowers and other flora, often forming a crown around the subjects head.

Use of pastel colors, which was unusual for the time.

This style was copied both during and after Mucha’s life.

F. Champenois Imprimeur Editeur

1896, Lithograph

Smooth, flowing lines (cloth, flora)

Outline defining the figure

Circular fame used to emphasize the subject

Soft colors on a dark background

Realistic facial features

Intricately decorated cloth

Nestlé's Food for Infants

1897, Lithograph

Stiff, folded cloth

Highly decorated background

Arrow-like shapes in the background, bringing focus on the subjects

Symmetrical background

Smooth shading

Dance

1898, Lithograph

Ring bringing focus to the subject

Flowing lines (cloth, hair, background detail)

Gives off a sense of peace

Seems like Spring

Arching lines (background, path of the petals, headpiece)

Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918)

Born in Switzerland

Lost his siblings to tuberculosis at an early age, which gave him a sense of mortality.

He began his career at age 18, painting mainly landscapes.

Later in his life, he created a series of paintings by his dying mistress’s bedside. (Valentine Godé-Darel Series)

After her death, he also created a series of 20 introspective self-portraits

A decline in health later lead to thoughts of suicide, and he passed in Geneva.

Characteristics

His earliest and later works contain themes of death.

Some painting techniques were taken from Neoclassicism (semi-realistic)

He often painted landscapes and portraits.

He later took on an Impressionist style.

He also worked in a style known as Parallelism, a style of using symmetrical figures in a pattern.

Madame Valentine Gode’-Darel

1914

Color mainly in the face of the subject, brings emphasis

Very sketchy, loose lines

Lack of natural color in the face; blues, pinks and greens to show illness

Clasped hands and facial expression, perhaps daydreaming or waiting

Choppy brushstrokes

Self-Portrait

1916, oil on canvas

Visible brush strokes

Expression of deep thought, slight amusement

Certain features heavily defined (nose, eyes)

Very bland coloring

The face is more defined than the clothes

Genfersee von Chexbres aus

1905, oil on canvas

.Bright, vivid coloring

Simple forms made of a few lines (mountains, houses)

Completely smooth water (cloud reflection is unwavering) gives a sense of calm

Small amounts of oddly placed color (yellow in the sky and clouds, red in the grass) offers contrast

Distant objects turn blue

Louis Sullivan (1856-1924)

American-born architect He developed a fascination with architecture at a young age as he roamed Boston admiring the buildings.He was inspired by a teacher he met in High School, Moses Woolson, whose teachings stuck with him throughout his life. He was greatly inspired by Renaissance art, but wanted to form his own style.He became the inspiration for Frank Lloyd Wright, who adopted some of his design principles.He gained fame as a theater architect after his design work on the Auditorium Building, a multipurpose theater/hotel/office building.Considered a revolutionary in that he wanted to create am entirely new form or architecture.After his death, his work began to fall out of favor and many buildings he designed were destroyed. Later efforts to save the remaining buildings began in the 70’s.

Characteristics

Known as the Father of Modern Skyscrapers

He commonly used arches, both organic and geometric forms, very decorative, large, deep-set windows.

Often used terracotta as a design medium as it was easy to work with.

High use of cast iron

Schlesinger and Mayer Department Store

1899-1904, cast iron, masonry

Highly decorative entrance (cast iron flower decoration), offers contrast with the upper half (plain, mainly windows)

Use of columns

Rounded side on a corner

Architecture Building

1886-1889, masonry

Symmetrical design

Arched windows

Placed on the street corner

Forms geometrically bound

Bradley House

1909-1910, masonry

Variety of geometric forms (triangular roof, cylindrical area)

Large, deep-set windows

Sloping roof

Works Cited

www.wikipedia.org

www.modernsilver.com

www.arthistory.net

www.theartstroy.com

www.artlex.com

apolarbearstale.blogspot.com

www.museumsyndicate.com

www.wikipaintings.org

www.auctionpublicity.com

commons.wikipedia.org

www.bluffton.edu

www.chicagoarchitechture.info

www.greatbuildins.com

www.offthemapchicago.com