Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau period started in France and Belgium. It was focused on thinking outside the box and not going by tradition. During this time Europe was in a period of peace and prosperity. Since there was a lot of economic growth going on, it supported the experimental part of the period. They used the flowing line technique that the Arts and Crafts period used. Artists such as Van Gogh and Edvard Munch shared an interest in Japanese art that soon became very popular.

This period was very cohesive and everyone was involved in the process of designing. The use of modern materials, electric lighting and fine arts became key parts to the period. You will see a lot of ornamentation in these designs such as vines and shells.

Henry Van de Velde was a prominent figure in Belgium. He designed his own house in 1894. He got more into the furniture, silverware, and product design.

These are some of the chairs he designed. The lines and curves on them are very significant and make them unique.

One of the things I thought was very interesting in France with this period was the Metropolitan signs. They are so different and make a statement when you walk by them. Hector Guimard designed the signs and I must say he did a fabulous job!

Current Applications:

Responses:

I looked at Justine's blog and I liked how she talked about Paris and Belgium separately. It showed how they compared to one another. The current applications she showed were phenomenal, the design that went into them was so articulate.

I also reviewed Natalie's blog and I liked how she looked at the specific places such as the Tassle and Horta house. It showed the characteristics of the period in detail and clarified with me what it looked like all put together in a room.

Here is a video that gives a good representation of what the architecture looked like during this period!