Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts,
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
, and
product design
Product design as a verb is to create a new product to be sold by a business to its customers. A very broad coefficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products. Thus, it is a major aspect of n ...
, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
), and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920s and 1930s. Through styling and design of the exterior and interior of anything from large structures to small objects, including how people look (clothing, fashion and jewelry), Art Deco has influenced bridges, buildings (from skyscrapers to cinemas), ships,
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
s, trains, cars, trucks, buses, furniture, and everyday objects like radios and vacuum cleaners.
It got its name after the 1925
(International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) held in Paris.
Art Deco combined modern styles with fine craftsmanship and rich materials. During its heyday, it represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress.
From its outset, Art Deco was influenced by the bold geometric forms of
Cubism
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
and the
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (german: Wiener Secession; also known as ''the Union of Austrian Artists'', or ''Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs'') is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austri ...
; the bright colours of
Fauvism
Fauvism /ˈfoʊvɪzm̩/ is the style of ''les Fauves'' (French language, French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the Representation (arts), repr ...
and of the
Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
; the updated craftsmanship of the furniture of the eras of
Louis Philippe I
Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France.
As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary War ...
and
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
; and the exoticized styles of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
ancient Egypt and
Maya art
Ancient Maya art is the visual arts of the Maya civilization, an eastern and south-eastern Mesoamerican culture made up of a great number of small kingdoms in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. Many regional artistic traditions e ...
. It featured rare and expensive materials, such as ebony and ivory, and exquisite craftsmanship. The
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
,
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
, and
other skyscrapers of New York City built during the 1920s and 1930s are monuments to the style.
In the 1930s, during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, Art Deco became more subdued. New materials arrived, including
chrome plating
Chrome plating (less commonly chromium plating) is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. A chrome-plated item is called ''chrome''. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease ...
,
stainless steel
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
and plastic. A sleeker form of the style, called
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...
, appeared in the 1930s, featuring curving forms and smooth, polished surfaces. Art Deco is one of the first truly international styles, but its dominance ended with the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the rise of the strictly functional and unadorned styles of
modern architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...
and the
International Style of architecture that followed.
Etymology
Art Deco took its name, short for ''arts décoratifs'', from the
held in Paris in 1925, though the diverse styles that characterised it had already appeared in Paris and
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
''Arts décoratifs'' was first used in France in 1858 in the ''Bulletin de la Société française de photographie''. In 1868, the ''
Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...
'' newspaper used the term ''objets d'art décoratifs'' for objects for stage scenery created for the
Théâtre de l'Opéra
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
. In 1875, furniture designers, textile, jewellers, glass-workers, and other craftsmen were officially given the status of artists by the French government. In response, the ''École royale gratuite de dessin'' (Royal Free School of Design), founded in 1766 under King
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
to train artists and artisans in crafts relating to the fine arts, was renamed the ''
École nationale des arts décoratifs (''National School of Decorative Arts). It took its present name, ENSAD (''École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs''), in 1927.
At the 1925 Exposition, architect
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...
wrote a series of articles about the exhibition for his magazine ''L'Esprit Nouveau'', under the title "1925 EXPO. ARTS. DÉCO.", which were combined into a book, ''L'art décoratif d'aujourd'hui'' (Decorative Art Today). The book was a spirited attack on the excesses of the colourful, lavish objects at the Exposition, and on the idea that practical objects such as furniture should not have any decoration at all; his conclusion was that "Modern decoration has no decoration".
The actual term ''art déco'' did not appear in print until 1966, in the title of the first modern exhibition on the subject, held by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, ''Les Années 25 : Art déco, Bauhaus, Stijl, Esprit nouveau'', which covered the variety of major styles in the 1920s and 1930s. The term was then used in a 1966 newspaper article by Hillary Gelson in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' (London, 12 November), describing the different styles at the exhibit.
Art Deco gained currency as a broadly applied stylistic label in 1968 when historian
Bevis Hillier
Bevis Hillier (born 28 March 1940) is an English art historian, author and journalist. He has written on Art Deco, and also a biography of John Betjeman, Sir John Betjeman.
Life and work
Hillier was born in Redhill, Surrey, where the family liv ...
published the first major academic book on it, ''
Art Deco of the 20s and 30s
''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s'' is an art history book by English historian Bevis Hillier. It was initially published in 1968 by Studio Vista. The author discusses how the style of cubism, expressionism, Ancient Egyptian art, Mayan art, and so on ...
''. He noted that the term was already being used by art dealers, and cites ''The Times'' (2 November 1966) and an essay named ''Les Arts Déco'' in ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' magazine (November 1967) as examples. In 1971, he organized an exhibition at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is an arts museum located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Home to more than 90,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, Mia is one of the largest art museums in the United State ...
, which he details in his book ''The World of Art Deco''.
Origins
Society of Decorative Artists (1901–1945)
The emergence of Art Deco was closely connected with the rise in status of decorative artists, who until late in the 19th century were considered simply as artisans. The term ''arts décoratifs'' had been invented in 1875, giving the designers of furniture, textiles, and other decoration official status. The ''Société des artistes décorateurs'' (Society of Decorative Artists), or SAD, was founded in 1901, and decorative artists were given the same rights of authorship as painters and sculptors. A similar movement developed in Italy. The first international exhibition devoted entirely to the decorative arts, the ''
Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa Moderna'', was held in
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
in 1902. Several new magazines devoted to decorative arts were founded in Paris, including ''Arts et décoration'' and ''L'Art décoratif moderne''. Decorative arts sections were introduced into the annual salons of the ''Sociéte des artistes français'', and later in the''
Salon d'Automne
The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...
''. French nationalism also played a part in the resurgence of decorative arts, as French designers felt challenged by the increasing exports of less expensive German furnishings. In 1911, SAD proposed a major new international exposition of decorative arts in 1912. No copies of old styles would be permitted, only modern works. The exhibit was postponed until 1914; and then, because of the war, until 1925, when it gave its name to the whole family of styles known as "Déco".
File:Art Deco table, chairs, carpet.jpg, Table and chairs by Maurice Dufrêne and carpet by Paul Follot
Paul Follot (17 July 1877 – 1941) was a French designer of luxury furniture and decorative art objects before World War I. He was one of the leaders of the Art Deco movement, and had huge influence in France and elsewhere.After the war he became ...
at the 1912 Salon des artistes décorateurs
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (Pa ...
File:‘Lady with Panther’ by George Barbier for Cartier, 1914.jpg, ''Lady with Panther'' by George Barbier for Louis Cartier
Cartier International SNC, or simply Cartier (; ), is a French high-end luxury goods conglomerate that designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells jewellery, leather goods, and watches. Founded by Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) in Paris ...
, 1914. Display card commissioned by Cartier shows a woman in a Paul Poiret
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
Early life and care ...
gown (1914)
File:Jacques-émile ruhlmann, poltrona 'oreille cassée', parigi 1914, 01.JPG, Armchair by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (28 August 1879 – 15 November 1933), (sometimes called Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann), was a French furniture designer and interior decorator, who was one of the most important figures in the Art Deco movement. His furn ...
(1914) (Musée d'Orsay)
Parisian department stores and fashion designers also played an important part in the rise of Art Deco. Prominent businesses such as silverware firm
Christofle, glass designer
René Lalique
René Jules Lalique (6 April 1860 – 1 May 1945) was a French jeweller, medallist, and glass designer known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks, and automobile hood ornaments.
Life
Lalique's ...
, and the jewellers
Louis Cartier
Cartier International SNC, or simply Cartier (; ), is a French high-end luxury goods conglomerate that designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells jewellery, leather goods, and watches. Founded by Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) in Paris ...
and
Boucheron
Boucheron () is a French luxury jewellery and watches house located in Paris, 26 Place Vendôme, owned by Kering.
History
At the origins
The House of Boucheron is a French family dynasty founded by Frederic Boucheron in 1858, with the opening ...
began designing products in more modern styles.
[Campbell, Gordon, ''The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts'', Oxford University Press, USA, 9 Nov 2006](_blank)
, pp. 42 (Vera), 43 (Cartier), 243 (Christofle), 15, 515, 527 (Lalique), 13, 134 (Boucheron), Beginning in 1900, department stores recruited decorative artists to work in their design studios. The decoration of the 1912 ''Salon d'Automne'' was entrusted to the department store ''
Printemps
Printemps (; meaning "spring (season), springtime" in French language, French) is a French department store chain (french: grand magasin, links=no, literally "big store"). The Printemps stores focus on beauty, lifestyle, fashion, accessories ...
'',
[Campbell, Gordon, ''The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts'', Oxford University Press, USA, 9 Nov 2006](_blank)
, pp. 42-43 and that year it created its own workshop, ''Primavera''.
By 1920 ''Primavera'' employed more than 300 artists, whose styles ranged from updated versions of
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
,
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
, and especially
Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France.
As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary War ...
furniture made by
Louis Süe
Louis Süe (14 July 1875 – 7 August 1968) was a French painter, architect, designer and decorator. He and André Mare co-founded the ''Compagnie des arts français'', which produced Art Deco furniture and interior decorations for wealthy custome ...
and the ''Primavera'' workshop, to more modern forms from the workshop of the ''Au Louvre'' department store. Other designers, including
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (28 August 1879 – 15 November 1933), (sometimes called Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann), was a French furniture designer and interior decorator, who was one of the most important figures in the Art Deco movement. His furn ...
and Paul Follot, refused to use mass production, insisting that each piece be made individually. The early Art Deco style featured luxurious and exotic materials such as
ebony
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...
,
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...
and silk, very bright colours and stylized
motifs, particularly baskets and bouquets of flowers of all colours, giving a modernist look.
[Laurent, Stephane, "L'artiste décorateur", in ''Art Deco, 1910–1939'' by Charlotte Benton, Tim Benton and Ghislain Wood (2002), Renaissance du Livre, pages 165–171]
Vienna Secession and Wiener Werkstätte (1897–1912)
The architects of the
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (german: Wiener Secession; also known as ''the Union of Austrian Artists'', or ''Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs'') is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austri ...
(formed 1897), especially
Josef Hoffmann
Josef Hoffmann (15 December 1870 – 7 May 1956) was an Austrian- Moravian architect and designer. He was among the founders of Vienna Secession and co-establisher of the Wiener Werkstätte. His most famous architectural work is the Stoclet Pa ...
, had a notable influence on Art Deco. His
Stoclet Palace, in Brussels (1905–1911), was a prototype of the Art Deco style, featuring geometric volumes, symmetry, straight lines, concrete covered with marble plaques, finely-sculpted ornament, and lavish interiors, including mosaic friezes by
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 – February 6, 1918) was an Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. Klimt is noted for his paintings, murals, sketches, and other objets d'art. Klimt's prim ...
. Hoffmann was also a founder of the
Wiener Werkstätte
The Wiener Werkstätte (engl.: ''Vienna Workshop''), established in 1903 by the graphic designer and painter Koloman Moser, the architect Josef Hoffmann and the patron Fritz Waerndorfer, was a productive association in Vienna, Austria that bro ...
(1903–1932), an association of craftsmen and interior designers working in the new style. This became the model for the ''Compagnie des arts français'', created in 1919, which brought together
André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
, and
Louis Süe
Louis Süe (14 July 1875 – 7 August 1968) was a French painter, architect, designer and decorator. He and André Mare co-founded the ''Compagnie des arts français'', which produced Art Deco furniture and interior decorations for wealthy custome ...
, the first leading French Art Deco designers and decorators.
File:Secession 2016, Vienna.jpg, Secession Building
The Secession Building (german: Secessionsgebäude) is an exhibition hall in Vienna, Austria. It was completed in 1898 by Joseph Maria Olbrich as an architectural manifesto for the Vienna Secession, a group of rebel artists that seceded from the ...
by Joseph Maria Olbrich
Joseph Maria Olbrich (22 December 1867 – 8 August 1908) was an Austrian architect and one of the Vienna Secession founders.
Early life
Olbrich was born in Opava, Austrian Silesia (now Czech Republic), the third child of Edmund and Aloisia O ...
, Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
(1897–98)
File:20120923 Brussels PalaisStoclet Hoffmann DSC06725 PtrQs.jpg, Stoclet Palace by Josef Hoffmann
Josef Hoffmann (15 December 1870 – 7 May 1956) was an Austrian- Moravian architect and designer. He was among the founders of Vienna Secession and co-establisher of the Wiener Werkstätte. His most famous architectural work is the Stoclet Pa ...
, Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
(1905–1911)
File:Bruxelles - Palais Stoclet (6).jpg, Detail of the Stoclet Palace's façade, made of reinforced concrete covered with marble plaques
File:Wien - Österreichische Postsparkasse, Georg-Coch-Platz.JPG, Austrian Postal Savings Bank
The Austrian Postal Savings Bank building (German language: ''Österreichische Postsparkasse'') is a famous building in Vienna, designed and built by the architect Otto Wagner. The building is regarded as an important work of Vienna Secession, bra ...
by Otto Wagner
Otto Koloman Wagner (; 13 July 1841 – 11 April 1918) was an Austrian architect, furniture designer and urban planner. He was a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement of architecture, founded in 1897, and the broader Art Nouveau move ...
, Vienna (1904–1912)
New materials and technologies
New materials and technologies, especially
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
, were key to the development and appearance of Art Deco. The first concrete house was built in 1853 in the Paris suburbs by
François Coignet
François Coignet (10 February 1814 – 30 October 1888) was a French industrialist and a pioneer in the development of reinforced concrete as the first person to use iron-reinforced concrete to construct buildings.Day, p. 284
Biography
Coign ...
. In 1877
Joseph Monier
Joseph Monier (; 8 November 1823, Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, France – 13 March 1906, Paris) was a French gardener and one of the principal inventors of reinforced concrete.
Overview
As a gardener, Monier was not satisfied with the material ...
introduced the idea of strengthening the concrete with a mesh of iron rods in a grill pattern. In 1893
Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954) was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the C ...
built the first concrete garage in Paris, then an apartment building, house, then, in 1913, the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
. The theatre was denounced by one critic as the "Zeppelin of Avenue Montaigne", an alleged Germanic influence, copied from the
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (german: Wiener Secession; also known as ''the Union of Austrian Artists'', or ''Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs'') is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austri ...
. Thereafter, the majority of Art Deco buildings were made of reinforced concrete, which gave greater freedom of form and less need for reinforcing pillars and columns. Perret was also a pioneer in covering the concrete with ceramic tiles, both for protection and decoration. The architect
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...
first learned the uses of reinforced concrete working as a draftsman in Perret's studio.
Other new technologies that were important to Art Deco were new methods in producing plate glass, which was less expensive and allowed much larger and stronger windows, and for mass-producing aluminium, which was used for building and window frames and later, by Corbusier,
Warren McArthur
Warren McArthur (1885–1961) was an American industrial and furniture designer who specialized in aluminum tubular furniture during the 1930s.
Early life and career
Warren McArthur, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois to Warren McArthur, Sr., ...
, and others, for lightweight furniture.
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1910–1913)
File:Théâtre des Champs-Élysées DSC09330.jpg, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
, by Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954) was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the C ...
, 15 avenue Montaigne, Paris (1910–13). Reinforced concrete gave architects the ability to create new forms and bigger spaces
File:"La Danse", bas-relief d'Antoine Bourdelle (Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris).jpg, Antoine Bourdelle
Antoine Bourdelle (30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important fi ...
, ''La Danse'', on the façade of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1912)
File:Theatre Champs Elysees 35.jpg, Interior of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, with Bourdelle's bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
s over the stage
File:Plafond du Théâtre des Champs-Élysées à Paris.JPG, Dome of the Theater, with Art Deco rose design by Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with '' Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...
The
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
(1910–1913), by
Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954) was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the C ...
, was the first landmark Art Deco building completed in Paris. Previously,
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
had been used only for industrial and apartment buildings, Perret had built the first modern reinforced-concrete apartment building in Paris on rue Benjamin Franklin in 1903–04.
Henri Sauvage
Henri Sauvage (May 10, 1873 in Rouen – March 21, 1932 in Paris) was a French architect and designer in the early 20th century. He was one of the most important architects in the French Art nouveau movement, Art Deco, and the beginning of ar ...
, another important future Art Deco architect, built another in 1904 at 7, rue Trétaigne (1904). From 1908 to 1910, the 21-year-old Le Corbusier worked as a draftsman in Perret's office, learning the techniques of concrete construction. Perret's building had clean rectangular form, geometric decoration and straight lines, the future trademarks of Art Deco. The décor of the theatre was also revolutionary; the façade was decorated with
high reliefs by
Antoine Bourdelle
Antoine Bourdelle (30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important fi ...
, a dome by
Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with '' Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...
, paintings by
Édouard Vuillard
Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, he was a prominent member of the Nabis, making paintings which assembled areas of pure color, and interior s ...
, and an Art Deco curtain by
Ker-Xavier Roussel
Ker-Xavier Roussel (10 December 1867 – 6 June 1944) was a French painter associated with Les Nabis.
Biography
Born François Xavier Roussel in Lorry-lès-Metz, Moselle in 1867, at age fifteen he studied at the Lycée Condorcet in Paris; al ...
. The theatre became famous as the venue for many of the first performances of the
Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
.
Perret and Sauvage became the leading Art Deco architects in Paris in the 1920s.
Salon d'Automne (1903–1914)
File:Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov) 02 by L. Bakst 2.jpg, Set for Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
's ballet ''Sheherazade
Scheherazade () is a major female character and the storyteller in the frame narrative of the Middle Eastern collection of tales known as the '' One Thousand and One Nights''.
Name
According to modern scholarship, the name ''Scheherazade'' de ...
'' by Léon Bakst (1910)
File:Art Deco Armchair.jpg, Art Deco armchair made for art collector Jacques Doucet (1912–13)
File:Display at Salon D'Automne (1913).jpg, Display of early Art Deco furnishings by the Atelier français at the 1913 Salon d'Automne from ''Art et décoration'' magazine (1914)
At its birth between 1910 and 1914, Art Deco was an explosion of colours, featuring bright and often clashing hues, frequently in floral designs, presented in furniture
upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something.
''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English word ...
, carpets, screens, wallpaper and fabrics. Many colourful works, including chairs and a table by
Maurice Dufrêne and a bright Gobelin carpet by
Paul Follot
Paul Follot (17 July 1877 – 1941) was a French designer of luxury furniture and decorative art objects before World War I. He was one of the leaders of the Art Deco movement, and had huge influence in France and elsewhere.After the war he became ...
were presented at the 1912
Salon des artistes décorateurs
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (Pa ...
. In 1912–1913 designer
Adrien Karbowsky
Adrien Karbowsky (15 December 1855 – 14 March 1945) was a French painter, decorator and architect.
He is known for his Art Nouveau murals and tapestry designs.
Life
Adrien Karbowsky was born on 15 December 1855.
He was a pupil of Jean-Baptiste ...
made a floral chair with a parrot design for the hunting lodge of art collector
Jacques Doucet. The furniture designers Louis Süe and
André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
made their first appearance at the 1912 exhibit, under the name of the ''Atelier français'', combining polychromatic fabrics with exotic and expensive materials, including ebony and ivory. After World War I, they became one of the most prominent French interior design firms, producing the furniture for the first-class salons and cabins of the French transatlantic
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
s.
The vivid hues of Art Deco came from many sources, including the exotic set designs by
Léon Bakst for the
Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
, which caused a sensation in Paris just before World War I. Some of the colours were inspired by the earlier
Fauvism
Fauvism /ˈfoʊvɪzm̩/ is the style of ''les Fauves'' (French language, French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the Representation (arts), repr ...
movement led by
Henri Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...
; others by the
Orphism of painters such as
Sonia Delaunay
Sonia Delaunay (13 November 1885 – 5 December 1979) was a French artist, who spent most of her working life in Paris. She was born in Odessa (then part of Russian Empire), and formally trained in Russian Empire and Germany before moving to Fr ...
;
others by the movement known as
Les Nabis, and in the work of symbolist painter Odilon Redon, who designed fireplace screens and other decorative objects. Bright shades were a feature of the work of fashion designer
Paul Poiret
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
Early life and care ...
, whose work influenced both Art Deco fashion and interior design.
Cubism
File:Raymond Duchamp-Villon, 1912, Projet d'hôtel, Maquette de la façade de la Maison Cubiste, published in Les Peintres Cubistes, 1913.jpg, Design for the facade of ''La Maison Cubiste
''La Maison Cubiste'' (''The Cubist House''), also called ''Projet d'hôtel'', was an architectural installation in the ''Art Décoratif'' section of the 1912 Paris ''Salon d'Automne'' which presented a Cubist vision of architecture and design. Cr ...
'' (''Cubist House'') by Raymond Duchamp-Villon
Raymond Duchamp-Villon (5 November 1876 – 9 October 1918) was a French sculptor.
Life and art
Duchamp-Villon was born Pierre-Maurice-Raymond Duchamp in Damville, Eure, in the Normandy region of France, the second son of Eugène and Lucie Duch ...
(1912)
File:Raymond Duchamp-Villon, 1912, La Maison Cubiste (Cubist House) at the Salon d'Automne, 1912, detail of the entrance. Photograph by Duchamp-Villon.jpg, Raymond Duchamp-Villon
Raymond Duchamp-Villon (5 November 1876 – 9 October 1918) was a French sculptor.
Life and art
Duchamp-Villon was born Pierre-Maurice-Raymond Duchamp in Damville, Eure, in the Normandy region of France, the second son of Eugène and Lucie Duch ...
, 1912, ''La Maison Cubiste'' (''Cubist House'') at the Salon d'Automne
The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...
, 1912, detail of the entrance
File:La Maison Cubiste, Le Salon Bourgeois, Salon d'Automne, 1912, Paris.jpg, ''Le Salon Bourgeois'', designed by André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
inside ''La Maison Cubiste'', in the decorative arts section of the Salon d'Automne, 1912, Paris. Metzinger's '' Femme à l'Éventail'' on the left wall
File:Jacques Doucet's hôtel particulier stairs, 33 rue Saint-James, Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1929 photograph by Pierre Legrain.jpg, Stairway in the hôtel particulier
An ''hôtel particulier'' () is a grand townhouse, comparable to the Townhouse (Great Britain), British townhouse or mansion. Whereas an ordinary ''maison'' (house) was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side an ...
of fashion designer-art collector Jacques Doucet (1927). Design by Joseph Csaky
Joseph Csaky (also written Josef Csàky, Csáky József, József Csáky and Joseph Alexandre Czaky) (18 March 1888 – 1 May 1971) was a Hungarian avant-garde artist, sculptor, and graphic artist, best known for his early participation in the ...
. The geometric forms of Cubism
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
had an important influence on Art Deco
File:Jacques Doucet's hôtel particulier, 33 rue Saint-James, Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1929 photograph Pierre Legrain.jpg, Jacques Doucet's hôtel particulier, 1927. Picasso's ''Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
''Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'' (''The Young Ladies of Avignon'', originally titled ''The Brothel of Avignon'') is a large oil painting created in 1907 by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The work, part of the permanent collection of the Museum o ...
'' can be seen hanging in the background
The
art movement
An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defin ...
known as
Cubism
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
appeared in France between 1907 and 1912, influencing the development of Art Deco.
In ''Art Deco Complete: The Definitive Guide to the Decorative Arts of the 1920s and 1930s'' Alastair Duncan writes "Cubism, in some bastardized form or other, became the lingua franca of the era's decorative artists."
The Cubists, themselves under the influence of
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a ...
, were interested in the simplification of forms to their geometric essentials: the cylinder, the sphere, the cone.
In 1912, the artists of the
Section d'Or
The Section d'Or ("Golden Section"), also known as Groupe de Puteaux or Puteaux Group, was a collective of Painting, painters, sculptors, poets and critics associated with Cubism and Orphism (art), Orphism. Based in the Parisian suburbs, the grou ...
exhibited works considerably more accessible to the general public than the analytical Cubism of Picasso and Braque. The Cubist vocabulary was poised to attract fashion, furniture and interior designers.
The 1912 writings of
André Vera
André Vera (1881–1971) was a French garden designer, town planner and pioneer of the Art Deco style. He is known for his collaboration with his brother, the painter and decorator Paul Vera. He wanted to renew French design, which he felt had be ...
, ''Le Nouveau style'', published in the journal ''L'Art décoratif'', expressed the rejection of
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
forms (asymmetric, polychrome and picturesque) and called for ''simplicité volontaire, symétrie manifeste, l'ordre et l'harmonie'', themes that would eventually become common within Art Deco;
though the Deco style was often extremely colourful and often complex.
In the ''Art Décoratif'' section of the 1912 Salon d'Automne, an architectural installation was exhibited known as ''
La Maison Cubiste
''La Maison Cubiste'' (''The Cubist House''), also called ''Projet d'hôtel'', was an architectural installation in the ''Art Décoratif'' section of the 1912 Paris ''Salon d'Automne'' which presented a Cubist vision of architecture and design. Cr ...
''. The facade was designed by
Raymond Duchamp-Villon
Raymond Duchamp-Villon (5 November 1876 – 9 October 1918) was a French sculptor.
Life and art
Duchamp-Villon was born Pierre-Maurice-Raymond Duchamp in Damville, Eure, in the Normandy region of France, the second son of Eugène and Lucie Duch ...
. The décor of the house was by
André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
. ''La Maison Cubiste'' was a furnished installation with a façade, a staircase, wrought iron banisters, a bedroom, a living room—the ''Salon Bourgeois'', where paintings by
Albert Gleizes
Albert Gleizes (; 8 December 1881 – 23 June 1953) was a French artist, theoretician, philosopher, a self-proclaimed founder of Cubism and an influence on the School of Paris. Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger wrote the first major treatise on ...
,
Jean Metzinger
Jean Dominique Antony Metzinger (; 24 June 1883 – 3 November 1956) was a major 20th-century French painter, theorist, writer, critic and poet, who along with Albert Gleizes wrote the first theoretical work on Cubism. His earliest works, from 1 ...
,
Marie Laurencin
Marie Laurencin (31 October 1883 – 8 June 1956) was a French painter and printmaker. She became an important figure in the Parisian avant-garde as a member of the Cubists associated with the Section d'Or.
Biography
Laurencin was born in Paris ...
,
Marcel Duchamp
Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, , ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, and conceptual art. Duchamp is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Picasso ...
,
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor, and film director, filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as "tubism") which he gradually ...
and
Roger de La Fresnaye
Roger de La Fresnaye (; 11 July 1885 – 27 November 1925) was a French Cubist painter.
Early years and education
La Fresnaye was born in Le Mans where his father, an officer in the French army, was temporarily stationed. The La Fresnayes were ...
were hung. Thousands of spectators at the salon passed through the full-scale model.
The façade of the house, designed by Duchamp-Villon, was not very radical by modern standards; the lintels and pediments had prismatic shapes, but otherwise the façade resembled an ordinary house of the period. For the two rooms, Mare designed the wallpaper, which featured stylized roses and floral patterns, along with upholstery, furniture and carpets, all with flamboyant and colourful motifs. It was a distinct break from traditional décor. The critic Emile Sedeyn described Mare's work in the magazine ''Art et Décoration'': "He does not embarrass himself with simplicity, for he multiplies flowers wherever they can be put. The effect he seeks is obviously one of picturesqueness and gaiety. He achieves it." The Cubist element was provided by the paintings. The installation was attacked by some critics as extremely radical, which helped make for its success. This architectural installation was subsequently exhibited at the 1913
Armory Show
The 1913 Armory Show, also known as the International Exhibition of Modern Art, was a show organized by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors in 1913. It was the first large exhibition of modern art in America, as well as one of ...
, New York City, Chicago and Boston.
Thanks largely to the exhibition, the term "Cubist" began to be applied to anything modern, from women's haircuts to clothing to theater performances."
The Cubist influence continued within Art Deco, even as Deco branched out in many other directions.
In 1927, Cubists
Joseph Csaky
Joseph Csaky (also written Josef Csàky, Csáky József, József Csáky and Joseph Alexandre Czaky) (18 March 1888 – 1 May 1971) was a Hungarian avant-garde artist, sculptor, and graphic artist, best known for his early participation in the ...
,
Jacques Lipchitz
Jacques Lipchitz (26 May 1973) was a Cubist sculptor. Lipchitz retained highly figurative and legible components in his work leading up to 1915–16, after which naturalist and descriptive elements were muted, dominated by a synthetic style of Cr ...
,
Louis Marcoussis
Louis Marcoussis, formerly Ludwik Kazimierz Wladyslaw Markus or Ludwig Casimir Ladislas Markus, (1878 or 1883, Łódź – October 22, 1941, Cusset) was a painter and engraver of Polish origin who lived in Paris for much of his life and became ...
,
Henri Laurens
Henri Laurens (February 18, 1885 – May 5, 1954) was a French sculptor and illustrator.
Early life and education
Born in Paris, Henri Laurens worked as a stonemason before he became a sculptor. From 1899 to 1902, he attended drawing class ...
, the sculptor
Gustave Miklos
Gustave Miklos, also written Gusztáv Miklós and Miklós Gusztáv (30 June 1888, in Budapest – 5 March 1967, in Oyonnax) was a sculptor, painter, illustrator and designer of Hungarian origin. An influential sculptor involved with Cubism and e ...
, and others collaborated in the decoration of a Studio House, rue Saint-James,
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...
, designed by the architect Paul Ruaud and owned by the French fashion designer Jacques Doucet, also a collector of
Post-Impressionist
Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction ag ...
art by Henri Matisse and Cubist paintings (including ''
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
''Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'' (''The Young Ladies of Avignon'', originally titled ''The Brothel of Avignon'') is a large oil painting created in 1907 by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The work, part of the permanent collection of the Museum o ...
'', which he bought directly from Picasso's studio). Laurens designed the fountain, Csaky designed Doucet's staircase, Lipchitz made the fireplace mantel, and Marcoussis made a Cubist rug.
Besides the Cubist artists, Doucet brought in other Deco interior designers to help in decorating the house, including Pierre Legrain, who was in charge of organizing the decoration, and
Paul Iribe
Paul Iribe (8 June 1883 – 21 September 1935) was a French illustrator and designer in the decorative arts. He worked in Hollywood during the 1920s and was Coco Chanel's lover from 1931 to his death.
Early life and career
Joseph Paul Iribe was b ...
, Marcel Coard,
André Groult
André Groult (27 August 1884 – 1966) was a French decorator and furniture designer., and one of the most prominent figures of the Art Deco style. His work featured curving and organic shapes, and extremely rich materials. His work has been de ...
,
Eileen Gray
Eileen Gray (born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith; 9 August 187831 October 1976) was an Irish architect and furniture designer who became a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture. Over her career, she was associated with many notable Euro ...
and Rose Adler to provide furniture. The décor included massive pieces made of macassar ebony, inspired by African art, and furniture covered with Morocco leather, crocodile skin and snakeskin, and patterns taken from African designs.
Cubism's adumbrated geometry became coin of the realm in the 1920s. Art Deco's development of Cubism's selective geometry into a wider array of shapes carried Cubism as a pictorial taxonomy to a much broader audience and wider appeal. (Richard Harrison Martin, Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Influences
File:George Barbier (1882-1932), Vaslav Nijinsky (1890-1950), 1913 1.jpg, The exoticism of the Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
had a strong influence on early Deco. A drawing of the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav (or Vatslav) Nijinsky (; rus, Вацлав Фомич Нижинский, Vatslav Fomich Nizhinsky, p=ˈvatsləf fɐˈmʲitɕ nʲɪˈʐɨnskʲɪj; pl, Wacław Niżyński, ; 12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a ballet dancer and choreog ...
by Paris fashion artist Georges Barbier
George Barbier (), né Georges Augustin Barbier, (1882–1932) was one of the great French illustrators of the early 20th century.
Biography
Born in Nantes, France on 16 October 1882, Barbier was 29 years old when he mounted his first exhib ...
(1913)
File:Paquin3.jpg, Illustration by Georges Barbier
George Barbier (), né Georges Augustin Barbier, (1882–1932) was one of the great French illustrators of the early 20th century.
Biography
Born in Nantes, France on 16 October 1882, Barbier was 29 years old when he mounted his first exhib ...
of a gown by Paquin (1914). Stylised floral designs and bright colours were a feature of early Art Deco.
File:450 Sutter St. lobby lights 2.JPG, Lobby of 450 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California, by Timothy Pflueger Pflueger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Donald H. Pflueger (1923–1994), American historian, educator, and author
* Timothy L. Pflueger (1892–1946), American architect and interior designer
* Sandy Pflueger (born 195 ...
(1929), inspired by ancient Maya art
Ancient Maya art is the visual arts of the Maya civilization, an eastern and south-eastern Mesoamerican culture made up of a great number of small kingdoms in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. Many regional artistic traditions e ...
File:Rockefeller Center MAM.JPG, The gilded bronze ''Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
'' at Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...
, New York City, N.Y., by Paul Manship
Paul Howard Manship (December 24, 1885 – January 28, 1966) was an American sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco movement. He is well known for his large public com ...
(1934), a stylised Art Deco update of classical sculpture (1936)
File:Art Deco vase Emile Lenoble.jpg, A ceramic vase inspired by motifs of traditional African carved wood sculpture, by Emile Lenoble (1937), Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris
Art Deco was not a single style, but a collection of different and sometimes contradictory styles. In architecture, Art Deco was the successor to and reaction against Art Nouveau, a style which flourished in Europe between 1895 and 1900, and also gradually replaced the
Beaux-Arts and
neoclassical that were predominant in European and American architecture. In 1905
Eugène Grasset
Eugène Samuel Grasset (25 May 1845 – 23 October 1917) was a Swiss decorative artist who worked in Paris, France in a variety of creative design fields during the Belle Époque. He is considered a pioneer in Art Nouveau design.
Biography
G ...
wrote and published ''Méthode de Composition Ornementale, Éléments Rectilignes,'' in which he systematically explored the decorative (ornamental) aspects of geometric elements, forms, motifs and their variations, in contrast with (and as a departure from) the undulating Art Nouveau style of
Hector Guimard
Hector Guimard (, 10 March 1867 – 20 May 1942) was a French architect and designer, and a prominent figure of the Art Nouveau style. He achieved early fame with his design for the Castel Beranger, the first Art Nouveau apartment building ...
, so popular in Paris a few years earlier. Grasset stressed the principle that various simple geometric shapes like triangles and squares are the basis of all compositional arrangements. The reinforced-concrete buildings of Auguste Perret and Henri Sauvage, and particularly the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
, offered a new form of construction and decoration which was copied worldwide.
In decoration, many different styles were borrowed and used by Art Deco. They included pre-modern art from around the world and observable at the
Musée du Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
,
Musée de l'Homme
The Musée de l'Homme ( French, "Museum of Mankind" or "Museum of Humanity") is an anthropology museum in Paris, France. It was established in 1937 by Paul Rivet for the 1937 ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne' ...
and the
Musée national des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie The Musée national des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie (National Museum of Arts of Africa and Oceania) was a museum formerly located in the Palais de la Porte Dorée on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes at 293, avenue Daumesnil in the 12th arrondissem ...
. There was also popular interest in archaeology due to excavations at
Pompeii
Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
,
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
, and the tomb of the 18th dynasty Pharaoh
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun (, egy, twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn), Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen () (), sometimes referred to as King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled ...
. Artists and designers integrated motifs from
ancient Egypt,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
,
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, Asia,
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...
and Oceania with
Machine Age
The Machine Age is an era that includes the early-to-mid 20th century, sometimes also including the late 19th century. An approximate dating would be about 1880 to 1945. Considered to be at its peak in the time between the first and second wo ...
elements.
Other styles borrowed included Russian
Constructivism
Constructivism may refer to:
Art and architecture
* Constructivism (art), an early 20th-century artistic movement that extols art as a practice for social purposes
* Constructivist architecture, an architectural movement in Russia in the 1920s a ...
and Italian
Futurism
Futurism ( it, Futurismo, link=no) was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such ...
, as well as Orphism,
Functionalism, and
Modernism
Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
in general.
Art Deco also used the clashing colours and designs of Fauvism, notably in the work of Henri Matisse and
André Derain
André Derain (, ; 10 June 1880 – 8 September 1954) was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse.
Biography
Early years
Derain was born in 1880 in Chatou, Yvelines, Île-de-France, just outside Paris. I ...
, inspired the designs of art deco textiles, wallpaper, and painted ceramics.
It took ideas from the high fashion vocabulary of the period, which featured geometric designs, chevrons, zigzags, and stylized bouquets of flowers. It was influenced by discoveries in
Egyptology
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...
, and growing interest in the Orient and in African art. From 1925 onwards, it was often inspired by a passion for new machines, such as airships, automobiles and ocean liners, and by 1930 this influence resulted in the style called
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...
.
Style of luxury and modernity
File:The boudoir of fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin, now in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.png, The boudoir of fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin
Jeanne-Marie Lanvin (; 1 January 1867 – 6 July 1946) was a French haute couture fashion designer. She founded the Lanvin fashion house and the beauty and perfume company Lanvin Parfums.
Early life
Jeanne Lanvin was born in Paris on 1 Januar ...
(1922–25) now in the Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris, France
File:Bath of Jeanne Lanvin, of Sienna marble, with decoration of carved stucco and bronze, now in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.jpg, Bath of Jeanne Lanvin, of Sienna marble, with decoration of carved stucco and bronze (1922–25)
File:Alavoine, Weil-Worgelt Study, ca. 1928-1930..jpg, An Art Deco study by the Paris design firm of Alavoine, now in the Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...
, New York City, N.Y. (1928–30)
File:Le salon de verre, designed by Paul Ruaud, furniture by Eileen Gray, for Madame Mathieu-Levy (boutique J. Suzanne Talbot), Paris, 1922.jpg, Glass Salon (Le salon de verre) designed by Paul Ruaud with furniture by Eileen Gray
Eileen Gray (born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith; 9 August 187831 October 1976) was an Irish architect and furniture designer who became a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture. Over her career, she was associated with many notable Euro ...
, for Madame Mathieu-Levy (milliner of the boutique J. Suzanne Talbot), 9, rue de Lota, Paris, 1922 (published in L'Illustration
''L'Illustration'' was a weekly French language, French newspaper published in Paris from 1843 to 1944. It was founded by Édouard Charton with the first issue published on 4 March 1843, it became the first illustrated newspaper in France then, a ...
, 27 May 1933)
Art Deco was associated with both luxury and modernity; it combined very expensive materials and exquisite craftsmanship put into modernistic forms. Nothing was cheap about Art Deco: pieces of furniture included ivory and silver inlays, and pieces of Art Deco jewellery combined diamonds with platinum, jade, coral and other precious materials. The style was used to decorate the first-class salons of ocean liners, deluxe trains, and skyscrapers. It was used around the world to decorate the great movie palaces of the late 1920s and 1930s. Later, after the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, the style changed and became more sober.
A good example of the luxury style of Art Deco is the boudoir of the fashion designer
Jeanne Lanvin
Jeanne-Marie Lanvin (; 1 January 1867 – 6 July 1946) was a French haute couture fashion designer. She founded the Lanvin fashion house and the beauty and perfume company Lanvin Parfums.
Early life
Jeanne Lanvin was born in Paris on 1 Januar ...
, designed by
Armand-Albert Rateau (1882–1938) made between 1922 and 1925. It was located in her house at 16 rue Barbet de Jouy, in Paris, which was demolished in 1965. The room was reconstructed in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. The walls are covered with moulded ''lambris'' below sculpted bas-reliefs in stucco. The alcove is framed with columns of marble on bases and a plinth of sculpted wood. The floor is of white and black marble, and in the cabinets decorative objects are displayed against a background of blue silk. Her bathroom had a tub and washstand made of sienna marble, with a wall of carved stucco and bronze fittings.
By 1928 the style had become more comfortable, with deep leather club chairs. The study designed by the Paris firm of Alavoine for an American businessman in 1928–30, is now in the
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...
.
By the 1930s, the style had been somewhat simplified, but it was still extravagant. In 1932 the decorator Paul Ruaud made the Glass Salon for Suzanne Talbot. It featured a serpentine armchair and two tubular armchairs by Eileen Gray, a floor of mat silvered glass slabs, a panel of abstract patterns in silver and black lacquer, and an assortment of animal skins.
International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (1925)
File:Postcard of Exposition des Art Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes.jpg, Postcard of the in Paris, France (1925)
File:Paris-FR-75-Expo 1925 Arts décoratifs-entrée Place de la Concorde.jpg, Entrance to the 1925 Exposition from Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde () is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.
...
by Pierre Patout
Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer, who was one of the major figures of the Art Deco movement, as well as a pioneer of Streamline Moderne design. His works included the design of the main entrance and the Pavi ...
File:Paris 1925 59878912.jpg, Polish pavilion (1925)
File:Paris-FR-75-Expo 1925 Arts décoratifs-pavillon des Galeries Lafayette.jpg, Pavilion of the Galeries Lafayette
The Galeries Lafayette () is an upmarket French department store chain, the biggest in Europe. Its flagship store is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris but it now operates in a number of other locations in France and oth ...
Department Store at the 1925 Exposition
File:Hotel du Collectionneur , Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes (1925).jpg, The Hotel du Collectionneur, pavilion of the furniture manufacturer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (28 August 1879 – 15 November 1933), (sometimes called Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann), was a French furniture designer and interior decorator, who was one of the most important figures in the Art Deco movement. His furn ...
, designed by Pierre Patout
Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer, who was one of the major figures of the Art Deco movement, as well as a pioneer of Streamline Moderne design. His works included the design of the main entrance and the Pavi ...
.
File:Salon of the Hotel du Collectionneur (1925).jpg, Salon of the Hôtel du Collectionneur from the 1925 International Exposition of Decorative Arts, furnished by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (28 August 1879 – 15 November 1933), (sometimes called Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann), was a French furniture designer and interior decorator, who was one of the most important figures in the Art Deco movement. His furn ...
, painting by Jean Dupas
Jean Théodore Dupas (21 February 1882 – 6 September 1964) was a French painter, artist, designer, poster artist, and decorator in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
Life
Dupas was born in Bordeaux. He won the Prix de Rome for painting in ...
, design by Pierre Patout
Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer, who was one of the major figures of the Art Deco movement, as well as a pioneer of Streamline Moderne design. His works included the design of the main entrance and the Pavi ...
The event that marked the zenith of the style and gave it its name was the
which took place in Paris from April to October in 1925. This was officially sponsored by the French government, and covered a site in Paris of 55 acres, running from the
Grand Palais
The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées ( en, Great Palace of the Elysian Fields), commonly known as the Grand Palais (English: Great Palace), is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arro ...
on the right bank to
Les Invalides
The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as ...
on the left bank, and along the banks of the Seine. The Grand Palais, the largest hall in the city, was filled with exhibits of decorative arts from the participating countries. There were 15,000 exhibitors from twenty different countries, including Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the new
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Germany was not invited because of tensions after the war; The United States, misunderstanding the purpose of the exhibit, declined to participate. The event was visited by sixteen million people during its seven-month run. The rules of the exhibition required that all work be modern; no historical styles were allowed. The main purpose of the Exhibit was to promote the French manufacturers of luxury furniture, porcelain, glass, metalwork, textiles, and other decorative products. To further promote the products, all the major Paris department stores, and major designers had their own pavilions. The Exposition had a secondary purpose in promoting products from French colonies in Africa and Asia, including ivory and exotic woods.
The Hôtel du Collectionneur was a popular attraction at the Exposition; it displayed the new furniture designs of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, as well as Art Deco fabrics, carpets, and a painting by
Jean Dupas
Jean Théodore Dupas (21 February 1882 – 6 September 1964) was a French painter, artist, designer, poster artist, and decorator in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
Life
Dupas was born in Bordeaux. He won the Prix de Rome for painting in ...
. The interior design followed the same principles of symmetry and geometric forms which set it apart from Art Nouveau, and bright colours, fine craftsmanship rare and expensive materials which set it apart from the strict functionality of the Modernist style. While most of the pavilions were lavishly decorated and filled with hand-made luxury furniture, two pavilions, those of the Soviet Union and Pavilion de
L'Esprit Nouveau
''L'Esprit Nouveau'' () was a magazine founded by architect Le Corbusier, poet Paul Dermée, and painter Amédée Ozenfant in 1920. The publication addressed a wide range of artistic disciplines including literature, visual arts, and architecture ...
, built by the magazine of that name run by Le Corbusier, were built in an austere style with plain white walls and no decoration; they were among the earliest examples of
modernist architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...
.
Skyscrapers
File:NYC - American Radiator Building.jpg, The American Radiator Building
The American Radiator Building (also known as the American Standard Building) is an early skyscraper at 40 West 40th Street, just south of Bryant Park, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It was designed by Raymond Hood an ...
, New York City, N.Y., by Raymond Hood
Raymond Mathewson Hood (March 29, 1881 – August 14, 1934) was an American architect who worked in the Neo-Gothic and Art Deco styles. He is best known for his designs of the Tribune Tower, American Radiator Building, and Rockefeller Center. Thr ...
(1924)
File:Chrysler Building by David Shankbone Retouched.jpg, Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
, New York City, by William Van Alen
William Van Alen (August 10, 1883 – May 24, 1954) was an American architect, best known as the architect in charge of designing New York City's Chrysler Building (1928–30).
Life
William Van Alen was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1883 to ...
(1930)
File:USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight over Manhattan, circa 1931-1933.jpg, New York City's skyline ()
File:570 Lexington Avenue2.JPG, Crown of the General Electric Building
The General Electric Building (also known as 570 Lexington Avenue) is a skyscraper at the southwestern corner of Lexington Avenue and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building, designed by Cross & Cross and completed in 1 ...
(also known as 570 Lexington Avenue), New York City, by Cross & Cross
Cross & Cross (1907–1942) was a New York City-based architectural firm founded by brothers John Walter Cross and Eliot Cross.
History
Cross & Cross was known as Old New York City Society's architectural firm of choice. John Cross (1878–1951) ...
(1933)
File:30RockConstruction1933.jpg, 30 Rockefeller Plaza
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the 66 ...
, New York City, by Raymond Hood
Raymond Mathewson Hood (March 29, 1881 – August 14, 1934) was an American architect who worked in the Neo-Gothic and Art Deco styles. He is best known for his designs of the Tribune Tower, American Radiator Building, and Rockefeller Center. Thr ...
(1933)
File:Empire State Building (aerial view).jpg, Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
, New York City, by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon
Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, founded as Shreve & Lamb, was an architectural firm, best known for designing the Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion in 1931.
History
The firm was founded in 1920 as Sh ...
(1931)
American skyscrapers marked the summit of the Art Deco style; they became the tallest and most recognizable modern buildings in the world. They were designed to show the prestige of their builders through their height, their shape, their color, and their dramatic illumination at night. The
American Radiator Building
The American Radiator Building (also known as the American Standard Building) is an early skyscraper at 40 West 40th Street, just south of Bryant Park, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It was designed by Raymond Hood an ...
by
Raymond Hood
Raymond Mathewson Hood (March 29, 1881 – August 14, 1934) was an American architect who worked in the Neo-Gothic and Art Deco styles. He is best known for his designs of the Tribune Tower, American Radiator Building, and Rockefeller Center. Thr ...
(1924) combined Gothic and Deco modern elements in the design of the building. Black brick on the frontage of the building (symbolizing coal) was selected to give an idea of solidity and to give the building a solid mass. Other parts of the façade were covered in gold bricks (symbolizing fire), and the entry was decorated with marble and black mirrors. Another early Art Deco skyscraper was Detroit's
Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a landmark skyscraper in the United States, located at 500 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Financial District. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves ...
, which opened in 1929. Designed by modernist
Wirt C. Rowland
Wirt Clinton Rowland (December 1, 1878 – November 30, 1946) was an American architect best known for his work in Detroit, Michigan.
Biography
Rowland was born December 1, 1878, in Clinton, Michigan, to Clinton Charles and Melissa Ruth Ro ...
, the building was the first to employ stainless steel as a decorative element, and the extensive use of colored designs in place of traditional ornaments.
New York City's skyline was radically changed by the
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
in Manhattan (completed in 1930), designed by
William Van Alen
William Van Alen (August 10, 1883 – May 24, 1954) was an American architect, best known as the architect in charge of designing New York City's Chrysler Building (1928–30).
Life
William Van Alen was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1883 to ...
. It was a giant seventy-seven-floor tall advertisement for Chrysler automobiles. The top was crowned by a stainless steel spire, and was ornamented by deco "gargoyles" in the form of stainless steel radiator cap decorations. The base of the tower, thirty-three stories above the street, was decorated with colorful art deco friezes, and the lobby was decorated with art deco symbols and images expressing modernity.
The Chrysler Building was soon surpassed in height by the
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
by
William F. Lamb
William Frederick Lamb (November 21, 1883 – September 8, 1952), was an American architect, chiefly known as one of the principal designers of the Empire State Building.
Biography
Lamb joined the New York architecture firm Carrère & Has ...
(1931), in a slightly less lavish Deco style and the
RCA Building
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the 66 ...
(now 30 Rockefeller Plaza) by Raymond Hood (1933) which together completely changed New York City's skyline. The tops of the buildings were decorated with Art Deco crowns and spires covered with stainless steel, and, in the case of the Chrysler building, with Art Deco gargoyles modeled after radiator ornaments, while the entrances and lobbies were lavishly decorated with Art Deco sculpture, ceramics, and design. Similar buildings, though not quite as tall, soon appeared in Chicago and other large American cities. Rockefeller Center added a new design element: several tall buildings grouped around an open plaza, with a fountain in the middle.
Late Art Deco
Old photo of the Scala Cinema in Bucharest, Romania.jpg, Scala Cinema on Bulevardul Gheorghe Magheru, Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, by Rudolf Fränkel (1935)
File:Miami Beach FL Lincoln Mall Lincoln Theatre01.jpg, Lincoln Theater in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and artificial island, man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the ...
, by Thomas W. Lamb
Thomas White Lamb (May 5th, 1870 – February 26th, 1942) was a Scottish-born, American architect. He was one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas in the 20th century.
Career
Born in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, Thomas W. La ...
(1936)
File:Paris 75016 Fontaines du Trocadéro 20090815.jpg, The Palais de Chaillot
The Palais de Chaillot () is a building at the top of the in the Trocadéro area in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th ''arrondissement'' of Paris, France.
For the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937) ...
by Louis-Hippolyte Boileau
Louis-Hippolyte Boileau (; 1878–1948) was a French architect.
Grandson of Louis-Auguste Boileau (1812–1896) and son of Louis-Charles Boileau (1837–1914, architect of the Hôtel Lutetia), Louis-Hippolyte studied at the École nationale supér ...
, Jacques Carlu
Jacques Carlu (7 April 1890 Bonnières-sur-Seine – 3 December 1976 Paris) was a French architect and designer, working mostly in Art Deco style, active in France, Canada, and in the United States.
Biography
Through the 1910s Carlu studied on ...
and Léon Azéma
Léon Azéma (20 January 1888 – 1 March 1978) was a French architect. He is responsible for many public works in France, especially in and around Paris. His most famous work is 1937 Palais de Chaillot, facing the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Early ...
from the 1937 Paris International Exposition
File:L'exposition Auguste Perret (Conseil économique, social et environnemental, Paris) (11872278295).jpg, Stairway of the Economic and Social Council in Paris, originally the Museum of Public Works, built for the 1937 Paris International Exposition, by Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954) was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the C ...
(1937)
File:KingCityHS-RobertStantonTheater.jpg, High School in King City, California
King City (variant: Kings City) is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located on the Salinas River southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . It lies along U.S. Route 101 in the Salinas Valley of California's Cent ...
, built by Robert Stanton for the Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
(1939)
In 1925, two different competing schools coexisted within Art Deco: the traditionalists, who had founded the Society of Decorative Artists; included the furniture designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann,
Jean Dunand
Jean Dunand (1877–1942) was a Swiss and French painter, sculptor, metal craftsman and interior designer during the Art Deco period. He was particularly known for his lacquered screens and other art objects.
Biography
Jules-John Dunand was bor ...
, the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, and designer Paul Poiret; they combined modern forms with traditional craftsmanship and expensive materials. On the other side were the modernists, who increasingly rejected the past and wanted a style based upon advances in new technologies, simplicity, a lack of decoration, inexpensive materials, and mass production. The modernists founded their own organisation,
The French Union of Modern Artists
The French Union of Modern Artists (french: Union des artistes modernes; UAM) was a movement made up of decorative artists and architects founded in France on 15 May 1929 and active until 1959.
Initially made up of around 20 dissidents of the Soc ...
, in 1929. Its members included architects
Pierre Chareau
Pierre Chareau (4 August 1883 – 24 August 1950) was a French architect and designer.
Early life
Chareau was born in Bordeaux, France. He went to the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris by the time he was 17.
Work
Chareau d ...
,
Francis Jourdain
Francis Jourdain (2 November 1876 – 31 December 1958) was a painter, furniture maker, interior designer, maker of ceramics, and other decorative arts, and a left-wing political activist.
Early years
Francis Jourdain was born on 2 November 18 ...
,
Robert Mallet-Stevens
Robert Mallet-Stevens (March 24, 1886 – February 8, 1945) was an influential French architect and designer.
Early life
Mallet-Stevens was born in Paris in a house called Maison-Laffitte (designed by François Mansart in the 17th century). H ...
, Corbusier, and, in the Soviet Union,
Konstantin Melnikov
Konstantin Stepanovich Melnikov (Russian: Константин Степанович Мельников; – November 28, 1974) was a Russian architect and painter. His architectural work, compressed into a single decade (1923–33), placed ...
; the Irish designer Eileen Gray; the French designer Sonia Delaunay; and the jewellers
Georges Fouquet
Georges Fouquet (1862 – 1957) was a French jewelry designer best known for his Art Nouveau creations. In Paris, he joined his father in the family business in 1891 In 1900 he opened a new jewelry shop at 6 rue Royale in Paris, designed by the ill ...
and
Jean Puiforcat
Jean Elysée Puiforcat (pronounced ''pwee-for-KAH'') (5 August 1897 – 20 October 1945) was a French silversmith, sculptor and designer. ''Miller's Antiques Encyclopedia'' calls Puiforcat the "most important French Art Deco silversmith."
Life ...
. They fiercely attacked the traditional art deco style, which they said was created only for the wealthy, and insisted that well-constructed buildings should be available to everyone, and that form should follow function. The beauty of an object or building resided in whether it was perfectly fit to fulfil its function. Modern industrial methods meant that furniture and buildings could be mass-produced, not made by hand.
The Art Deco interior designer Paul Follot defended Art Deco in this way: "We know that man is never content with the indispensable and that the superfluous is always needed...If not, we would have to get rid of music, flowers, and perfumes..!" However, Le Corbusier was a brilliant publicist for modernist architecture; he stated that a house was simply "a machine to live in", and tirelessly promoted the idea that Art Deco was the past and modernism was the future. Le Corbusier's ideas were gradually adopted by architecture schools, and the aesthetics of Art Deco were abandoned. The same features that made Art Deco popular in the beginning, its craftsmanship, rich materials and ornament, led to its decline. The Great Depression that began in the United States in 1929, and reached Europe shortly afterwards, greatly reduced the number of wealthy clients who could pay for the furnishings and art objects. In the Depression economic climate, few companies were ready to build new skyscrapers.
Even the Ruhlmann firm resorted to producing pieces of furniture in series, rather than individual hand-made items. The last buildings built in Paris in the new style were the Museum of Public Works by Auguste Perret (now the
French Economic, Social and Environmental Council
The Economic, Social and Environmental Council ( French: ''Conseil économique, social et environnemental''), known as the Economic and Social Council before the constitutional law of 23 July 2008, is a consultative assembly in France. It does ...
), the
Palais de Chaillot
The Palais de Chaillot () is a building at the top of the in the Trocadéro area in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th ''arrondissement'' of Paris, France.
For the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937) ...
by
Louis-Hippolyte Boileau
Louis-Hippolyte Boileau (; 1878–1948) was a French architect.
Grandson of Louis-Auguste Boileau (1812–1896) and son of Louis-Charles Boileau (1837–1914, architect of the Hôtel Lutetia), Louis-Hippolyte studied at the École nationale supér ...
,
Jacques Carlu
Jacques Carlu (7 April 1890 Bonnières-sur-Seine – 3 December 1976 Paris) was a French architect and designer, working mostly in Art Deco style, active in France, Canada, and in the United States.
Biography
Through the 1910s Carlu studied on ...
and
Léon Azéma
Léon Azéma (20 January 1888 – 1 March 1978) was a French architect. He is responsible for many public works in France, especially in and around Paris. His most famous work is 1937 Palais de Chaillot, facing the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Early ...
, and the
Palais de Tokyo
The Palais de Tokyo (''Tokyo Palace'') is a building dedicated to modern and contemporary art, located at 13 avenue du Président-Wilson, facing the Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The eastern wing of the building belongs to ...
of the
1937 Paris International Exposition; they looked out at the grandiose pavilion of Nazi Germany, designed by
Albert Speer
Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of World War II. A close ally of Adolf Hitler, he ...
, which faced the equally grandiose socialist-realist pavilion of Stalin's Soviet Union.
After World War II, the dominant architectural style became the International Style pioneered by Le Corbusier, and
Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd ...
. A handful of Art Deco hotels were built in
Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...
after World War II, but elsewhere the style largely vanished, except in industrial design, where it continued to be used in automobile styling and products such as jukeboxes. In the 1960s, it experienced a modest academic revival, thanks in part to the writings of architectural historians such as Bevis Hillier. In the 1970s efforts were made in the United States and Europe to preserve the best examples of Art Deco architecture, and many buildings were restored and repurposed.
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the international style advocated by Philip Johnson and Henry- ...
, which first appeared in the 1980s, like Art Deco, often includes purely decorative features.
Deco continues to inspire designers, and is often used in contemporary fashion, jewellery, and toiletries.
Painting
File:Entrance of Rockefeller Center.JPG, Detail of ''Time'', ceiling mural in lobby of 30 Rockefeller Plaza
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the 66 ...
(New York City, N.Y.), by the Spanish painter Josep Maria Sert
Josep Maria Sert i Badia (; Barcelona, 21 December 1874 – 27 November 1945, buried in the Vic Cathedral) was a Spanish muralist, the son of an affluent textile industry family, and friend of Salvador Dalí. He was particularly known for his gr ...
(1941)
File:Mural-Ariel-Rios-Marsh-1.jpg, ''Workers sorting the mail'', a mural in the Ariel Rios Federal Building, Washington, D.C, by Reginald Marsh (1936)
File:Mural-Ariel-Rios-Rockwell-Kent-1.jpg, ''Art in the Tropics'', mural in the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building
The William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building is a complex of several historic buildings located in the Federal Triangle in Washington, D.C., across 12th Street, NW from the Old Post Office Building (Washington, D.C.), Old Post Office. The complex ...
, Washington, D.C., by Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent (June 21, 1882 – March 13, 1971) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, writer, sailor, adventurer and voyager.
Biography
Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York. Kent was of English descent. He lived much of ...
(1938)
There was no section set aside for painting at the 1925 Exposition. Art deco painting was by definition decorative, designed to decorate a room or work of architecture, so few painters worked exclusively in the style, but two painters are closely associated with Art Deco. Jean Dupas painted Art Deco murals for the Bordeaux Pavilion at the 1925 Decorative Arts Exposition in Paris, and also painted the picture over the fireplace in the Maison du Collectionneur exhibit at the 1925 Exposition, which featured furniture by Ruhlmann and other prominent Art Deco designers. His murals were also prominent in the décor of the French ocean liner
SS ''Normandie''. His work was purely decorative, designed as a background or accompaniment to other elements of the décor.
The other painter closely associated with the style is
Tamara de Lempicka
Tamara Łempicka (born Tamara Rosalia Gurwik-Górska; 16 May 1898 – 18 March 1980), better known as Tamara de Lempicka, was a Polish painter who spent her working life in France and the United States. She is best known for her polished Art D ...
. Born in Poland, she emigrated to Paris after the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
. She studied under
Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with '' Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...
and
André Lhote, and borrowed many elements from their styles. She painted portraits in a realistic, dynamic and colourful Art Deco style.
In the 1930s a dramatic new form of Art Deco painting appeared in the United States. During the Great Depression, the
Federal Art Project
The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administrati ...
of the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
was created to give work to unemployed artists. Many were given the task of decorating government buildings, hospitals and schools. There was no specific art deco style used in the murals; artists engaged to paint murals in government buildings came from many different schools, from American regionalism to social realism; they included
Reginald Marsh,
Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent (June 21, 1882 – March 13, 1971) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, writer, sailor, adventurer and voyager.
Biography
Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York. Kent was of English descent. He lived much of ...
and the Mexican painter Diego Rivera. The murals were Art Deco because they were all decorative and related to the activities in the building or city where they were painted: Reginald Marsh and Rockwell Kent both decorated U.S. postal buildings, and showed postal employees at work while Diego Rivera depicted automobile factory workers for the Detroit Institute of Arts. Diego Rivera's mural ''Man at the Crossroads'' (1933) for
30 Rockefeller Plaza
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the 66 ...
featured an unauthorized portrait of Lenin.
When Rivera refused to remove Lenin, the painting was destroyed and a new mural was painted by the Spanish artist
Josep Maria Sert
Josep Maria Sert i Badia (; Barcelona, 21 December 1874 – 27 November 1945, buried in the Vic Cathedral) was a Spanish muralist, the son of an affluent textile industry family, and friend of Salvador Dalí. He was particularly known for his gr ...
.
Sculpture
Monumental and public sculpture
File:20120929 Chicago Board of Trade Building top cropped.jpg, Aluminum statue of Ceres (mythology), Ceres by John Storrs (sculptor), John Storrs atop the Chicago Board of Trade Building, Chicago, Illinois (1930)
File:Rockefeller Center MAM.JPG, The gilded bronze ''Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
'' at the Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...
(New York City, N.Y.), by Paul Manship
Paul Howard Manship (December 24, 1885 – January 28, 1966) was an American sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco movement. He is well known for his large public com ...
(1934), a stylized Art Deco update of classical sculpture (1936)
File:RocCt-LeeLawrie-Wisdom.jpg, Portal decoration ''Wisdom'' by Lee Lawrie at the Rockefeller Center (1933)
File:New York City, May 2014 - 033.JPG, Lee Lawrie, 1936–37, ''Atlas (statue), Atlas'' statue, in front of the Rockefeller Center (installed 1937)
File:"One is Man Controlling Trade," 1942 statue by Michael Lantz, at Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C LCCN2010641732.tif, ''Man Controlling Trade'' by Michael Lantz at the Federal Trade Commission building, Washington, D.C. (1942)
File:NixFedBldgPhilaMailBas1.jpg, ''Mail Delivery (sculptures), Mail Delivery East'', by Edmond Amateis, one of four bas-relief sculptures on the Nix Federal Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1937)
File:Stackpole-155Sansome.jpg, Ralph Stackpole's sculpture group over the door of the San Francisco Stock Exchange, San Francisco, California (1930)
File:BBC Broadcasting House Eric Gill.jpg, ''Aerial between Wisdom and Gaiety'' by Eric Gill, façade of BBC Broadcasting House, London, UK (1932)
File:Cristo Redentor Rio de Janeiro 2.jpg, ''Christ the Redeemer (statue), Christ the Redeemer'' by Paul Landowski (1931), soapstone, Corcovado Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sculpture was a very common and integral feature of Art Deco architecture. In France, allegorical bas-reliefs representing dance and music by
Antoine Bourdelle
Antoine Bourdelle (30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important fi ...
decorated the earliest Art Deco landmark in Paris, the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
, in 1912. The 1925 Exposition had major sculptural works placed around the site, pavilions were decorated with sculptural friezes, and several pavilions devoted to smaller studio sculpture. In the 1930s, a large group of prominent sculptors made works for the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne at Chaillot. Alfred Janniot made the relief sculptures on the façade of the Palais de Tokyo. The Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and the esplanade in front of the Palais de Chaillot, facing the Eiffel Tower, was crowded with new statuary by Charles Malfray, Henry Arnold, and many others.
Public art deco sculpture was almost always representational, usually of heroic or allegorical figures related to the purpose of the building or room. The themes were usually selected by the patrons, not the artist. Abstract sculpture for decoration was extremely rare.
In the United States, the most prominent Art Deco sculptor for public art was
Paul Manship
Paul Howard Manship (December 24, 1885 – January 28, 1966) was an American sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco movement. He is well known for his large public com ...
, who updated classical and mythological subjects and themes in an Art Deco style. His most famous work was the statue of
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...
at
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...
in New York City, a 20th-century adaptation of a classical subject. Other important works for Rockefeller Center were made by Lee Lawrie, including the sculptural façade and the Atlas (statue), Atlas statue.
During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
in the United States, many sculptors were commissioned to make works for the decoration of federal government buildings, with funds provided by the WPA, or
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. They included sculptor Sidney Biehler Waugh, who created stylized and idealized images of workers and their tasks for federal government office buildings. In San Francisco, Ralph Stackpole provided sculpture for the façade of the new San Francisco Stock Exchange building. In Washington D.C., Michael Lantz made works for the Federal Trade Commission building.
In Britain, Deco public statuary was made by Eric Gill for the BBC Broadcasting House, while Ronald Atkinson decorated the lobby of the former Daily Express Building, London, Daily Express Building in London (1932).
One of the best known and certainly the largest public Art Deco sculpture is the ''Christ the Redeemer (statue), Christ the Redeemer'' by the French sculptor Paul Landowski, completed between 1922 and 1931, located on a mountain top overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Studio sculpture
File:Joseph Csaky, Tête, ca 1920 (front and side view) limestone, 60 cm, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Holland.tiff, ''Tête'' (front and side view), limestone, by Joseph Csaky
Joseph Csaky (also written Josef Csàky, Csáky József, József Csáky and Joseph Alexandre Czaky) (18 March 1888 – 1 May 1971) was a Hungarian avant-garde artist, sculptor, and graphic artist, best known for his early participation in the ...
() (Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands)
File:Le chasseur de Pierre Le Faguays.png, ''The Hunter'' by Pierre Le Faguays (1920s)
File:Josef Lorenzl00.jpg, Bronze nude of a dancer on an onyx plinth by Josef Lorenzl ()
File:Speed - Harriet Frishmuth.jpg, ''Speed'', a design for a radiator ornament by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1925)
File:The Flight of Europa.jpg, ''The Flight of Europa'', bronze with gold leaf, by Paul Manship
Paul Howard Manship (December 24, 1885 – January 28, 1966) was an American sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco movement. He is well known for his large public com ...
(1925) (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, N.Y.)
File:Art Deco Sculpture.jpg, ''Tânără'' (Girl), bronze, ivory and onyx, by Demétre Chiparus ()
File:Demetre Chiparus 2.jpg, ''Dansatoare'' (Dancer), bronze and ivory, by Chiparus ()
Many early Art Deco sculptures were small, designed to decorate salons. One genre of this sculpture was called the Chryselephantine statuette, named for a style of ancient Greek temple statues made of gold and ivory. They were sometimes made of bronze, or sometimes with much more lavish materials, such as ivory, onyx, alabaster, and gold leaf.
One of the best-known Art Deco salon sculptors was the Romanian-born Demétre Chiparus, who produced colourful small sculptures of dancers. Other notable salon sculptors included Ferdinand Preiss, Josef Lorenzl, Alexander Kelety, Dorothea Charol and Gustav Schmidtcassel. Another important American sculptor in the studio format was Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, who had studied with Auguste Rodin in Paris.
Pierre Le Paguays was a prominent Art Deco studio sculptor, whose work was shown at the 1925 Exposition. He worked with bronze, marble, ivory, onyx, gold, alabaster and other precious materials.
François Pompon was a pioneer of modern stylised animalier sculpture. He was not fully recognised for his artistic accomplishments until the age of 67 at the Salon d'Automne of 1922 with the work ''Ours blanc'', also known as ''The White Bear'', now in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Parallel with these Art Deco sculptors, more avant-garde and abstract modernist sculptors were at work in Paris and New York City. The most prominent were Constantin Brâncuși,
Joseph Csaky
Joseph Csaky (also written Josef Csàky, Csáky József, József Csáky and Joseph Alexandre Czaky) (18 March 1888 – 1 May 1971) was a Hungarian avant-garde artist, sculptor, and graphic artist, best known for his early participation in the ...
, Alexander Archipenko,
Henri Laurens
Henri Laurens (February 18, 1885 – May 5, 1954) was a French sculptor and illustrator.
Early life and education
Born in Paris, Henri Laurens worked as a stonemason before he became a sculptor. From 1899 to 1902, he attended drawing class ...
,
Jacques Lipchitz
Jacques Lipchitz (26 May 1973) was a Cubist sculptor. Lipchitz retained highly figurative and legible components in his work leading up to 1915–16, after which naturalist and descriptive elements were muted, dominated by a synthetic style of Cr ...
,
Gustave Miklos
Gustave Miklos, also written Gusztáv Miklós and Miklós Gusztáv (30 June 1888, in Budapest – 5 March 1967, in Oyonnax) was a sculptor, painter, illustrator and designer of Hungarian origin. An influential sculptor involved with Cubism and e ...
, Jean Lambert-Rucki, Jan et Joël Martel, Chana Orloff and Pablo Gargallo.
[Edith Balas, 1998, ''Joseph Csaky: A Pioneer of Modern Sculpture''](_blank)
Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society
Graphic arts
File:Bakst Nizhinsky.jpg, Programme for the Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
by Léon Bakst (1912)
File:Deutsche Werkbund-Ausstellung Kunst in Handwerk, Industrie und Handel Architektur Köln 1914 Oct. Peter Behrens A. Molling & Comp. KG Hannover Berlin.jpg, Peter Behrens, Deutscher Werkbund exhibition poster (1914)
File:Vanity Fair cover by Georges Lepape 1919.jpg, A ''Vanity Fair (American magazine 1913–1936), Vanity Fair'' cover by Georges Lepape (1919)
File:Weinold Reiss - Drawing in two colors.jpg, ''Interpretation of Harlem Jazz I'' by Winold Reiss (c.1920)
File:Erté Harpers Bazar cover Feb 1922.jpg, Cover of ''Harper's Bazaar'' by Erté (1922)
File:Brightest London is best reached by Underground, subway poster, 1924.jpg, London Underground poster by Horace Taylor (1924)
File:Moulin Rouge Music-Hall.jpg, Moulin Rouge poster by Charles Gesmar (1925)
File:JesterCoverGWBridge.jpg, Cover of the Jester of Columbia, ''Jester'' of Columbia University, Columbia, unattributed (1931)
The Art Deco style appeared early in the graphic arts, in the years just before World War I. It appeared in Paris in the posters and the costume designs of Léon Bakst for the Ballets Russes, and in the catalogues of the fashion designers Paul Poiret. The illustrations of
Georges Barbier
George Barbier (), né Georges Augustin Barbier, (1882–1932) was one of the great French illustrators of the early 20th century.
Biography
Born in Nantes, France on 16 October 1882, Barbier was 29 years old when he mounted his first exhib ...
, and Georges Lepape and the images in the fashion magazine ''La Gazette du bon ton'' perfectly captured the elegance and sensuality of the style. In the 1920s, the look changed; the fashions stressed were more casual, sportive and daring, with the woman models usually smoking cigarettes. American fashion magazines such as ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', ''Vanity Fair (magazine), Vanity Fair'' and ''Harper's Bazaar'' quickly picked up the new style and popularized it in the United States. It also influenced the work of American book illustrators such as Rockwell Kent. In Germany, the most famous poster artist of the period was Ludwig Hohlwein, who created colourful and dramatic posters for music festivals, beers, and, late in his career, for the Nazi Party.
During the Art Nouveau period, posters usually advertised theatrical products or cabarets. In the 1920s, travel posters, made for steamship lines and airlines, became extremely popular. The style changed notably in the 1920s, to focus attention on the product being advertised. The images became simpler, precise, more linear, more dynamic, and were often placed against a single color background. In France, popular Art Deco designers included, Charles Loupot and Paul Colin (artist), Paul Colin, who became famous for his posters of American singer and dancer Josephine Baker. Jean Carlu designed posters for Charlie Chaplin movies, soaps, and theatres; in the late 1930s he emigrated to the United States, where, during the World War, he designed posters to encourage war production. The designer Charles Gesmar became famous making posters for the singer Mistinguett and for Air France. Among the best known French Art Deco poster designers was Cassandre (artist), Cassandre, who made the celebrated poster of the ocean liner SS ''Normandie'' in 1935.
In the 1930s a new genre of posters appeared in the United States during the Great Depression. The Federal Art Project hired American artists to create posters to promote tourism and cultural events.
Architecture
File:P1030956 Paris Ier La Samaritaine rwk.JPG, La Samaritaine department store in Paris, France, by Henri Sauvage
Henri Sauvage (May 10, 1873 in Rouen – March 21, 1932 in Paris) was a French architect and designer in the early 20th century. He was one of the most important architects in the French Art nouveau movement, Art Deco, and the beginning of ar ...
(1925–28)
File:Los Angeles City Hall (color) edit1.jpg, Los Angeles City Hall by John B. Parkinson, John Parkinson, John C. Austin, and Albert C. Martin Sr. (1928)
Old photo of the Art Deco Generala Building (100 Calea Victoriei), 1929.jpg, Interior of Calea Victoriei no. 100 in Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, by Nicolae Nenciulescu (1929)
File:InteriorHoyBADF.JPG, Interior of the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) in Mexico City, Mexico (1934)
File:La Villa Empain en 2012, après restauration..jpg, Entrance of the Villa Empain in Brussels, Belgium (1930–34)
File:Diet of Japan Kokkai 2009.jpg, National Diet Building in Tokyo, Japan (1936)
File:Vertical panorama of the Mayakovskaya Metro Station.jpg, Mayakovskaya (Moscow Metro), Mayakovskaya Metro Station in Moscow, Russia (1936)
89 Bulevardul Dacia, Bucharest (01).jpg, Detail of Bulevardul Dacia no. 89 in Bucharest, by unknown architect (1930s)
The architectural style of art deco made its debut in Paris in 1903–04, with the construction of two apartment buildings in Paris, one by Auguste Perret on rue Benjamin Franklin and the other on rue Trétaigne by Henri Sauvage. The two young architects used reinforced concrete for the first time in Paris residential buildings; the new buildings had clean lines, rectangular forms, and no decoration on the facades; they marked a clean break with the Art Nouveau, art nouveau style. Between 1910 and 1913, Perret used his experience in concrete apartment buildings to construct the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, 15 avenue Montaigne. Between 1925 and 1928 Sauvage constructed the new art deco façade of La Samaritaine department store in Paris.
After the First World War, art deco buildings of steel and reinforced concrete began to appear in large cities across Europe and the United States. In the United States the style was most commonly used for office buildings, government buildings, cinemas, and railroad stations. It sometimes was combined with other styles; Los Angeles City Hall combined Art Deco with a roof based on the ancient Greek Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, while the Los Angeles railroad station combined Deco with Spanish mission architecture. Art Deco elements also appeared in engineering projects, including the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge and the intake towers of Hoover Dam. In the 1920s and 1930s it became a truly international style, with examples including the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) in Mexico City by , the Mayakovskaya (Moscow Metro), Mayakovskaya Metro Station in Moscow and the National Diet Building in Tokyo by Watanabe Fukuzo.
The Art Deco style was not limited to buildings on land; the ocean liner SS ''Normandie'', whose first voyage was in 1935, featured Art Deco design, including a dining room whose ceiling and decoration were made of glass by Lalique.
"Cathedrals of Commerce"
File:Interior of Fisher Building, Detroit.JPG, The Fisher Building in Detroit, Michigan, by Joseph Nathaniel French (1928)
File:Detroit December 2015 30 (Guardian Building).jpg, Lower lobby of the Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a landmark skyscraper in the United States, located at 500 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Financial District. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves ...
in Detroit by Wirt Rowland (1929)
File:450 Sutter St. lobby 2.JPG, Lobby of 450 Sutter Street in San Francisco, California, by Timothy Pflueger (1929)
File:Chrysler Building Lobby.jpg, Lobby of the Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
in New York City, N.Y., by William Van Alen
William Van Alen (August 10, 1883 – May 24, 1954) was an American architect, best known as the architect in charge of designing New York City's Chrysler Building (1928–30).
Life
William Van Alen was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1883 to ...
(1930)
File:Chrysler Building 01.JPG, Interior door in the Chrysler Building (1930)
File:Chandelier, Carew Tower.jpg, Ceiling and chandelier detail on the lobby of the Carew Tower in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Walter W. Ahlschlager (1930)
File:Le salon du Maréchal Lyautey (CNHI) (3678836375).jpg, ''Salon d'Afrique'' of the Palais de la Porte Dorée with furnitures by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann and frescos by Louis Bouquet (1931)
File:Haltusch.jpg, Foyer of the Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Hijman Louis de Jong (1921)
The grand showcases of American Art deco interior design were the lobbies of government buildings, theaters, and particularly office buildings. Interiors were extremely colorful and dynamic, combining sculpture, murals, and ornate geometric design in marble, glass, ceramics and stainless steel. An early example was the Fisher Building in Detroit, by Joseph Nathaniel French; the lobby was highly decorated with sculpture and ceramics. The
Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a landmark skyscraper in the United States, located at 500 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Financial District. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves ...
(originally the Union Trust Building) in Detroit, by Wirt Rowland (1929), decorated with red and black marble and brightly colored ceramics, highlighted by highly polished steel elevator doors and counters. The sculptural decoration installed in the walls illustrated the virtues of industry and saving; the building was immediately termed the "Cathedral of Commerce". The Medical and Dental Building called
450 Sutter Street in San Francisco by Timothy Pflueger was inspired by Maya civilization, Mayan architecture, in a highly stylized form; it used pyramid shapes, and the interior walls were covered with highly stylized rows of hieroglyphs.
In France, the best example of an Art Deco interior during this period was the Palais de la Porte Dorée (1931) by Albert Laprade, Léon Jaussely and Léon Bazin. The building (now the National Museum of Immigration, with an aquarium in the basement) was built for the Paris Colonial Exposition of 1931, to celebrate the people and products of French colonies. The exterior façade was entirely covered with sculpture, and the lobby created an Art Deco harmony with a wood parquet floor in a geometric pattern, a mural depicting the people of French colonies; and a harmonious composition of vertical doors and horizontal balconies.
Movie palaces
File:Graumanegyptian-opening1922.jpg, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood (Los Angeles), California (1922)
File:Paramount Fountain of Light in Lobby.jpg, Four-story high grand lobby of the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California (1932)
File:Radio City Music Hall 3051638324 4a385c5623.jpg, Auditorium and stage of Radio City Music Hall in New York City, N.Y. (1932)
File:Facade Rex.jpg, Grand Rex in Paris, France (1932)
File:Gaumont State Cinema Entrance.jpg, Gaumont State Cinema in London, UK (1937)
File:The Paramount, Shanghai.JPG, The Paramount (Shanghai), Paramount in Shanghai, China (1933)
File:Amsterdam - Pathé Tuschinski (29668503893).jpg, The Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1921)
Many of the best surviving examples of Art Deco are cinemas built in the 1920s and 1930s. The Art Deco period coincided with the conversion of silent films to sound, and movie companies built large display destinations in major cities to capture the huge audience that came to see movies. Movie palaces in the 1920s often combined exotic themes with art deco style; Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood (1922) was inspired by ancient Egyptian tombs and pyramids, while the Fox Theater (Bakersfield, California), Fox Theater in Bakersfield, California attached a tower in California Mission style to an Art Deco hall. The largest of all is Radio City Music Hall in New York City, which opened in 1932. Originally designed as theatrical performance space, it quickly transformed into a cinema, which could seat 6,015 customers. The interior design by Donald Deskey used glass, aluminum, chrome, and leather to create a visual escape from reality. The Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California), Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California, by Timothy Pflueger, had a colorful ceramic façade, a lobby four stories high, and separate Art Deco smoking rooms for gentlemen and ladies. Similar grand palaces appeared in Europe. The Grand Rex in Paris (1932), with its imposing tower, was the largest cinema in Europe after the 6,000 seats of the Gaumont-Palace (1931-1973). The Gaumont State Cinema in London (1937) had a tower modelled on the Empire State building, covered with cream ceramic tiles and an interior in an Art Deco-Italian Renaissance style. The Paramount (Shanghai), Paramount Theatre in Shanghai, China (1933) was originally built as a dance hall called ''The gate of 100 pleasures''; it was converted to a cinema after the Communist Revolution in 1949, and now is a ballroom and disco. In the 1930s Italian architects built a small movie palace, the Cinema Impero, in Asmara in what is now Eritrea. Today, many of the movie theatres have been subdivided into multiplexes, but others have been restored and are used as cultural centres in their communities.
Streamline Moderne
File:Broadcasting House by Stephen Craven.jpg, The nautical-style rounded corner of Broadcasting House in London, UK (1931)
File:Immeuble de Pierre Patout Bd Victor Paris XV.jpg, Paris' building in the ''Paquebot'' or ocean liner style, 3 boulevard Victor, by Pierre Patout
Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer, who was one of the major figures of the Art Deco movement, as well as a pioneer of Streamline Moderne design. His works included the design of the main entrance and the Pavi ...
(1935)
File:Pan-Pacific Auditorium entrance.jpg, Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles, California (1936)
File:LaGuardia MarineAirTerminal 1974.jpg, The Marine Air Terminal at La Guardia Airport (1937) was New York City's terminal for the flights of Pan Am Clipper flying boats to Europe
File:Hoover Building No 1.jpg, The Hoover Building canteen in Perivale in London's suburbs, by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners (1938)
File:Ancien Institut national de Radiodiffusion - vue d'ensemble.JPG, Le Flagey, Former Belgian National Institute of Radio Broadcasting in Ixelles (Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
), Belgium (1938)
File:East Finchley2.JPG, The building at East Finchley tube station in London (1939)
File:World Fair 1939 LOC gsc.5a03061.jpg, The Ford Pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair
File:First Church of Deliverance 2.jpg, Streamline Moderne church, First Church of Deliverance in Chicago, Illinois, by Walter T. Bailey (1939). Towers added in 1948.
In the late 1930s, a new variety of Art Deco architecture became common; it was called
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...
or simply Streamline, or, in France, the ''Style Paquebot'', or Ocean Liner style. Buildings in the style had rounded corners and long horizontal lines; they were built of reinforced concrete, and were almost always white; and they sometimes had nautical features, such as railings and portholes that resembled those on a ship. The rounded corner was not entirely new; it had appeared in Berlin in 1923 in the Mossehaus by Erich Mendelsohn, and later in the Hoover Building, an industrial complex in the London suburb of Perivale. In the United States, it became most closely associated with transport; Streamline moderne was rare in office buildings, but was often used for bus stations and airport terminals, such as the terminal at La Guardia airport in New York City that handled the first transatlantic flights, via the PanAm Clipper flying boats; and in roadside architecture, such as gas stations and diners. In the late 1930s a series of diners, modelled upon streamlined railroad cars, were produced and installed in towns in New England; at least two examples still remain and are now registered historic buildings.
Decoration and motifs
File:Fire screen made by Rose Iron Works of Cleveland, 1930.JPG, Iron fireplace screen, Rose Iron Works (Cleveland, Ohio) (1930)
File:Elevator doors of Chrysler Building (1927-30).jpg, Elevator doors of the Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
(New York City, N.Y.), by William Van Alen
William Van Alen (August 10, 1883 – May 24, 1954) was an American architect, best known as the architect in charge of designing New York City's Chrysler Building (1928–30).
Life
William Van Alen was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1883 to ...
(1927–30)
File:MilwaukeeGasLightBuilding architecturaldetails.jpg, Sunrise motif from the Wisconsin Gas Building (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (1930)
File:Oakland Paramount facade mosaic detail 2.jpg, Detail of mosaic facade of Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California) (1931)
Decoration in the Art Deco period went through several distinct phases. Between 1910 and 1920, as Art Nouveau was exhausted, design styles saw a return to tradition, particularly in the work of Paul Iribe. In 1912 André Vera published an essay in the magazine ''L'Art Décoratif'' calling for a return to the craftsmanship and materials of earlier centuries, and using a new repertoire of forms taken from nature, particularly baskets and garlands of fruit and flowers. A second tendency of Art Deco, also from 1910 to 1920, was inspired by the bright colours of the artistic movement known as the Fauvism, Fauves and by the colourful costumes and sets of the Ballets Russes. This style was often expressed with exotic materials such as sharkskin, mother of pearl, ivory, tinted leather, lacquered and painted wood, and decorative inlays on furniture that emphasized its geometry. This period of the style reached its high point in the 1925 Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts. In the late 1920s and the 1930s, the decorative style changed, inspired by new materials and technologies. It became sleeker and less ornamental. Furniture, like architecture, began to have rounded edges and to take on a polished, streamlined look, taken from the streamline modern style. New materials, such as nickel or chrome-plated steel, aluminium and bakelite, an early form of plastic, began to appear in furniture and decoration.
Throughout the Art Deco period, and particularly in the 1930s, the motifs of the décor expressed the function of the building. Theatres were decorated with sculpture which illustrated music, dance, and excitement; power companies showed sunrises, the Chrysler building showed stylized hood ornaments; The friezes of Palais de la Porte Dorée at the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition showed the faces of the different nationalities of French colonies. The Streamline style made it appear that the building itself was in motion. The WPA murals of the 1930s featured ordinary people; factory workers, postal workers, families and farmers, in place of classical heroes.
Furniture
File:Paul follot, sedia, parigi 1914-16 ca.JPG, Chair by Paul Follot
Paul Follot (17 July 1877 – 1941) was a French designer of luxury furniture and decorative art objects before World War I. He was one of the leaders of the Art Deco movement, and had huge influence in France and elsewhere.After the war he became ...
(1912–14)
File:Art Deco chair and screen (1912 and 1920).jpg, Armchair by Louis Süe
Louis Süe (14 July 1875 – 7 August 1968) was a French painter, architect, designer and decorator. He and André Mare co-founded the ''Compagnie des arts français'', which produced Art Deco furniture and interior decorations for wealthy custome ...
(1912) and painted screen by André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
(1920)
File:Art Deco dressing table (1919-20).jpg, Dressing table and chair of marble and encrusted, lacquered, and gilded wood by Follot (1919–20)
File:Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann (French, 1879-1933). Corner Cabinet, ca. 1923..jpg, Corner cabinet of Mahogany with rose basket design of inlaid ivory by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (28 August 1879 – 15 November 1933), (sometimes called Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann), was a French furniture designer and interior decorator, who was one of the most important figures in the Art Deco movement. His furn ...
(1923)
File:J.-E. Ruhlmann au Musée des Années 30 (Boulogne-Billancourt) (2132077838).jpg, Cabinet by Ruhlmann (1926)
File:Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon) (5469658728).jpg, Cabinet design by Ruhlmann
File:André Groult, cassettone antropomorphe, parigi, 1925 ca..JPG, Cabinet covered with shagreen or sharkskin by André Groult
André Groult (27 August 1884 – 1966) was a French decorator and furniture designer., and one of the most prominent figures of the Art Deco style. His work featured curving and organic shapes, and extremely rich materials. His work has been de ...
(1925)
File:Gio ponti ed emilio lancia, sala da pranzo 'domus nova', 1927, 02.JPG, Furniture by Gio Ponti (1927)
File:Desk of Adminiistrator Michel Roux-Spitz 1930.jpg, Desk of an administrator, by Michel Roux-Spitz for the 1930 Salon of Decorative Artists
File:Fauteuil jazzclub.jpg, An Art Deco club chair (1930s)
File:"La Maison Leleu" au Musée des Années 30 (Boulogne-Billancourt) (2132078468).jpg, Late Art Deco furniture and rug by Jules Leleu (1930s)
File:Waterfall buffet table.jpg, A Waterfall style buffet table
French furniture from 1910 until the early 1920s was largely an updating of French traditional furniture styles, and the art nouveau designs of Louis Majorelle, Charles Plumet and other manufacturers. French furniture manufacturers felt threatened by the growing popularity of German manufacturers and styles, particularly the Biedermeier style, which was simple and clean-lined. The French designer Frantz Jourdain, the President of the Paris Salon d'Automne, invited designers from Munich to participate in the 1910 Salon. French designers saw the new German style, and decided to meet the German challenge. The French designers decided to present new French styles in the Salon of 1912. The rules of the Salon indicated that only modern styles would be permitted. All of the major French furniture designers took part in Salon: Paul Follot, Paul Iribe, Maurice Dufrêne, André Groult, André Mare and Louis Suë took part, presenting new works that updated the traditional French styles of Louis XVI and Louis Philippe with more angular corners inspired by Cubism and brighter colours inspired by Fauvism and the Nabis.
The painter
André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
and furniture designer
Louis Süe
Louis Süe (14 July 1875 – 7 August 1968) was a French painter, architect, designer and decorator. He and André Mare co-founded the ''Compagnie des arts français'', which produced Art Deco furniture and interior decorations for wealthy custome ...
both participated the 1912 Salon. After the war the two men joined to form their own company, formally called the ''Compagnie des Arts Française'', but usually known simply as Suë and Mare. Unlike the prominent art nouveau designers like Louis Majorelle, who personally designed every piece, they assembled a team of skilled craftsmen and produced complete interior designs, including furniture, glassware, carpets, ceramics, wallpaper and lighting. Their work featured bright colors and furniture and fine woods, such as ebony encrusted with mother of pearl, abalone and silvered metal to create bouquets of flowers. They designed everything from the interiors of ocean liners to perfume bottles for the label of Jean Patou.The firm prospered in the early 1920s, but the two men were better craftsmen than businessmen. The firm was sold in 1928, and both men left.
The most prominent furniture designer at the 1925 Decorative Arts Exposition was
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (28 August 1879 – 15 November 1933), (sometimes called Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann), was a French furniture designer and interior decorator, who was one of the most important figures in the Art Deco movement. His furn ...
, from Alsace. He first exhibited his works at the 1913 Autumn Salon, then had his own pavilion, the "House of the Rich Collector", at the 1925 Exposition. He used only most rare and expensive materials, including
ebony
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...
, mahogany, rosewood, Ambon Island, ambon and other exotic woods, decorated with inlays of ivory, tortoise shell, mother of pearl, Little pompoms of silk decorated the handles of drawers of the cabinets. His furniture was based upon 18th-century models, but simplified and reshaped. In all of his work, the interior structure of the furniture was completely concealed. The framework usually of oak, was completely covered with an overlay of thin strips of wood, then covered by a second layer of strips of rare and expensive woods. This was then covered with a veneer and polished, so that the piece looked as if it had been cut out of a single block of wood. Contrast to the dark wood was provided by inlays of ivory, and ivory key plates and handles. According to Ruhlmann, armchairs had to be designed differently according to the functions of the rooms where they appeared; living room armchairs were designed to be welcoming, office chairs comfortable, and salon chairs voluptuous. Only a small number of pieces of each design of furniture was made, and the average price of one of his beds or cabinets was greater than the price of an average house.
Jules Leleu was a traditional furniture designer who moved smoothly into Art Deco in the 1920s; he designed the furniture for the dining room of the Élysée Palace, and for the first-class cabins of the steamship ''Normandie''. his style was characterized by the use of ebony, Macassar wood, walnut, with decoration of plaques of ivory and mother of pearl. He introduced the style of lacquered art deco furniture in the late 1920s, and in the late 1930s introduced furniture made of metal with panels of smoked glass. In Italy, the designer Gio Ponti was famous for his streamlined designs.
The costly and exotic furniture of Ruhlmann and other traditionalists infuriated modernists, including the architect Le Corbusier, causing him to write a famous series of articles denouncing the ''arts décoratif'' style. He attacked furniture made only for the rich, and called upon designers to create furniture made with inexpensive materials and modern style, which ordinary people could afford. He designed his own chairs, created to be inexpensive and mass-produced.
In the 1930s, furniture designs adapted to the form, with smoother surfaces and curved forms. The masters of the late style included Donald Deskey, who was one of the most influential designers; he created the interior of the Radio City Music Hall. He used a mixture of traditional and very modern materials, including aluminium, chrome, and bakelite, an early form of plastic. Other masters of art deco furniture of the 1930s in the United States included Gilbert Rohde,
Warren McArthur
Warren McArthur (1885–1961) was an American industrial and furniture designer who specialized in aluminum tubular furniture during the 1930s.
Early life and career
Warren McArthur, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois to Warren McArthur, Sr., ...
, Kem Weber, and Wolfgang Hoffman.
The Waterfall style was popular in the 1930s and 1940s, the most prevalent Art Deco form of furniture at the time. Pieces were typically of plywood finished with blond veneer and with rounded edges, resembling a waterfall.
Design
File:Duofold Desk Set.jpg, Parker Duofold desk set ( 1930)
File:Beau Brownie.jpg, "Beau Brownie" camera, design by Walter Dorwin Teague for Eastman Kodak (1930)
File:Philips 930.jpg, Philips Art Deco radio set (1931)
File:Vintage Philco (Big Bullet) Table Radio, Model 37-610T, Broadcast & Short Wave Bands, Art Deco Design, 5 Vacuum Tubes, Walnut Veneer Cabinet, Circa 1937 (15351304051).jpg, Philco Table Radio ()
File:Lurelle Guild. Vacuum Cleaner, ca. 1937..jpg, Electrolux Vacuum cleaner (1937)
File:Test run of streamlined 20th Century Limited 1938.jpg, New York's 20th Century Limited Hudson 4-6-4 Streamlined Locomotive ()
File:SLNSW 22573 Chrysler Airflow.jpg, Chrysler Airflow sedan, designed by Carl Breer (1934)
File:Cord 812 1937.jpg, 1937 Cord (automobile), Cord automobile model 812, designed in 1935 by Gordon M. Buehrig and staff
File:Bugatti Aérolithe AV.jpg, Bugatti Type 57#Type 57S/SC, Bugatti Aérolithe (1936)
Streamline was a variety of Art Deco which emerged during the mid-1930s. It was influenced by modern Aerodynamics, aerodynamic principles developed for aviation and ballistics to reduce aerodynamic drag at high velocities. The bullet shapes were applied by designers to cars, trains, ships, and even objects not intended to move, such as refrigerators, Fuel dispenser, gas pumps, and buildings.
One of the first production vehicles in this style was the Chrysler Airflow of 1933. It was unsuccessful commercially, but the beauty and functionality of its design set a precedent; meant modernity. It continued to be used in car design well after World War II.
New industrial materials began to influence the design of cars and household objects. These included aluminium, chrome plating, chrome, and bakelite, an early form of plastic. Bakelite could be easily moulded into different forms, and soon was used in telephones, radios and other appliances.
Ocean liners also adopted a style of Art Deco, known in French as the ''Style Paquebot'', or "Ocean Liner Style". The most famous example was the SS ''Normandie'', which made its first transatlantic trip in 1935. It was designed particularly to bring wealthy Americans to Paris to shop. The cabins and salons featured the latest Art Deco furnishings and decoration. The Grand Salon of the ship, which was the restaurant for first-class passengers, was bigger than the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. It was illuminated by electric lights within twelve pillars of Lalique crystal; thirty-six matching pillars lined the walls. This was one of the earliest examples of illumination being directly integrated into architecture. The style of ships was soon adapted to buildings. A notable example is found on the San Francisco waterfront, where the Maritime Museum building, built as a public bath in 1937, resembles a ferryboat, with ship railings and rounded corners. The Star Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong also used a variation of the style.
Textiles and fashion
File:"Abundance" Textile MET DP293540.jpg, Textile design ''Abundance'' by André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
, (1911) (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA)
File:"Draperies" Textile MET DP293587.jpg, Rose Pattern Textiles designed by Mare () (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
File:Rose Mousse MET DP105936.jpg, Rose Mousse pattern for upholstery, cotton and silk (1920) (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
File:Paul Iribe, birds from Les Ateliers de Martine.jpg, Design of birds from Les Ateliers de Martine by Paul Iribe
Paul Iribe (8 June 1883 – 21 September 1935) was a French illustrator and designer in the decorative arts. He worked in Hollywood during the 1920s and was Coco Chanel's lover from 1931 to his death.
Early life and career
Joseph Paul Iribe was b ...
(1918)
Textiles were an important part of the Art Deco style, in the form of colourful wallpaper, upholstery and carpets, In the 1920s, designers were inspired by the stage sets of the
Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
, fabric designs and costumes from
Léon Bakst and creations by the
Wiener Werkstätte
The Wiener Werkstätte (engl.: ''Vienna Workshop''), established in 1903 by the graphic designer and painter Koloman Moser, the architect Josef Hoffmann and the patron Fritz Waerndorfer, was a productive association in Vienna, Austria that bro ...
. The early interior designs of
André Mare
Charles André Mare (1885–1932), or André-Charles Mare, was a French painter and textile designer, and co-founder of the Company of French Art (''la Compagnie des Arts Français'') in 1919. He was a designer of colorful textiles, and was one o ...
featured brightly coloured and highly stylized garlands of roses and flowers, which decorated the walls, floors, and furniture. Stylized Floral motifs also dominated the work of Raoul Dufy and
Paul Poiret
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
Early life and care ...
, and in the furniture designs of J.E. Ruhlmann. The floral carpet was reinvented in Deco style by
Paul Poiret
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
Early life and care ...
.
The use of the style was greatly enhanced by the introduction of the ''pochoir'' stencil-based printing system, which allowed designers to achieve crispness of lines and very vivid colours. Art Deco forms appeared in the clothing of
Paul Poiret
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
Early life and care ...
, Charles Worth and Jean Patou. After World War I, exports of clothing and fabrics became one of the most important currency earners of France.
[Beltra, Rubio, ''Exploring Art Deco in Textile and Fashion Design'', 20 December 2016, Site of Metropolitan Museum]
Late Art Deco wallpaper and textiles sometimes featured stylized industrial scenes, cityscapes, locomotives and other modern themes, as well as stylized female figures, metallic finishes and geometric designs.
Fashion changed dramatically during the Art Deco period, thanks in particular to designers
Paul Poiret
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
Early life and care ...
and later Coco Chanel. Poiret introduced an important innovation to fashion design, the concept of Drapery, draping, a departure from the tailoring and pattern-making of the past.
He designed clothing cut along straight lines and constructed of rectangular motifs.
[ His styles offered structural simplicity][ The corseted look and formal styles of the previous period were abandoned, and fashion became more practical, and streamlined. with the use of new materials, brighter colours and printed designs.][ The designer Coco Chanel continued the transition, popularising the style of sporty, casual chic.]
File:Evening coat MET 85.151 bw.jpeg, Evening coat by Paul Poiret
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
Early life and care ...
, , silk and metal (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
File:A. Kellerman 1920-2.jpg, Diving Venus Annette Kellermann in Los Angeles, California,
File:Cécile Sorel, in 1920, by Reutlinger.jpg, Cécile Sorel, at the Comédie-Française, 1920
File:Fashion picture by Adolf de Meyer 4.jpg, Desiree Lubovska in a dress by Jean Patou,
File:Natacha Rambova dressed by Paul Poiret.png, Natacha Rambova in a dress designed by Poiret, 1926
File:Gabrielle Chanel en marinière.jpg, Coco Chanel in a sailor's blouse and trousers (1928)
Jewelry
File:Art Deco bracelet (1925) Museum of Decorative Arts.jpg, Art Deco bracelet of gold, coral and jade (1925) (Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France)
File:Art Deco glass pendants Rene Lalique.jpg, Molded glass pendants on silk cords by René Lalique
René Jules Lalique (6 April 1860 – 1 May 1945) was a French jeweller, medallist, and glass designer known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks, and automobile hood ornaments.
Life
Lalique's ...
(1925–30)
File:Cartier 3526707735 f4583fda9a.jpg, ''Mackay Emerald Necklace'', emerald, diamond and platinum, by Cartier (jeweler), Cartier (1930) (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, USA)
File:Art Deco buckle (1925).jpg, A gold buckle set with diamonds and carved onyx, lapis lazuli, jade, and coral, by Boucheron
Boucheron () is a French luxury jewellery and watches house located in Paris, 26 Place Vendôme, owned by Kering.
History
At the origins
The House of Boucheron is a French family dynasty founded by Frederic Boucheron in 1858, with the opening ...
(1925)
In the 1920s and 1930s, designers including René Lalique and Cartier tried to reduce the traditional dominance of diamonds by introducing more colourful gemstones, such as small emeralds, rubies and sapphires. They also placed greater emphasis on very elaborate and elegant settings, featuring less-expensive materials such as enamel, glass, horn and ivory. Diamonds themselves were cut in less traditional forms; the 1925 Exposition saw many diamonds cut in the form of tiny rods or matchsticks. The settings for diamonds also changed; More and more often jewellers used platinum instead of gold, since it was strong and flexible, and could set clusters of stones. Jewellers also began to use more dark materials, such as enamels and black onyx, which provided a higher contrast with diamonds.
Jewellery became much more colourful and varied in style. Cartier and the firm of Boucheron combined diamonds with colourful other gemstones cut into the form of leaves, fruit or flowers, to make brooches, rings, earrings, clips and pendants. Far Eastern themes also became popular; plaques of jade and coral were combined with platinum and diamonds, and vanity cases, cigarette cases and powder boxes were decorated with Japanese and Chinese landscapes made with mother of pearl, enamel and lacquer.
Rapidly changing fashions in clothing brought new styles of jewellery. Sleeveless dresses of the 1920s meant that arms needed decoration, and designers quickly created bracelets of gold, silver and platinum encrusted with lapis-lazuli, onyx, coral, and other colourful stones; Other bracelets were intended for the upper arms, and several bracelets were often worn at the same time. The short haircuts of women in the twenties called for elaborate deco earring designs. As women began to smoke in public, designers created very ornate cigarette cases and ivory cigarette holders. The invention of the wrist-watch before World War I inspired jewelers to create extraordinary decorated watches, encrusted with diamonds and plated with enamel, gold and silver. Pendant watches, hanging from a ribbon, also became fashionable.
The established jewellery houses of Paris in the period, Cartier, Chaumet, Georges Fouquet, Mauboussin, and Van Cleef & Arpels all created jewellery and objects in the new fashion. The firm of Chaumet made highly geometric cigarette boxes, cigarette lighters, pillboxes and notebooks, made of hard stones decorated with jade, lapis lazuli, diamonds and sapphires. They were joined by many young new designers, each with his own idea of deco. Raymond Templier designed pieces with highly intricate geometric patterns, including silver earrings that looked like skyscrapers. Gerard Sandoz was only 18 when he started to design jewelry in 1921; he designed many celebrated pieces based on the smooth and polished look of modern machinery. The glass designer René Lalique also entered the field, creating pendants of fruit, flowers, frogs, fairies or mermaids made of sculpted glass in bright colors, hanging on cords of silk with tassels. The jeweller Paul Brandt contrasted rectangular and triangular patterns, and embedded pearls in lines on onyx plaques. Jean Despres made necklaces of contrasting colours by bringing together silver and black lacquer, or gold with lapis lazuli. Many of his designs looked like highly polished pieces of machines. Jean Dunand
Jean Dunand (1877–1942) was a Swiss and French painter, sculptor, metal craftsman and interior designer during the Art Deco period. He was particularly known for his lacquered screens and other art objects.
Biography
Jules-John Dunand was bor ...
was also inspired by modern machinery, combined with bright reds and blacks contrasting with polished metal.
Glass art
File:'Oiseau de Feu' made by René Lalique, Dayton Art Institute.JPG, ''The Firebird'' by René Lalique
René Jules Lalique (6 April 1860 – 1 May 1945) was a French jeweller, medallist, and glass designer known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks, and automobile hood ornaments.
Life
Lalique's ...
(1922)
File:Vase (Perruches) by René Jules Lalique, 1922, blown four mold glass - Cincinnati Art Museum - DSC04355.JPG, ''Parrot'' vase by Lalique (1922)
File:Vase aux raisins.jpg, A Daum (studio), Daum vase with sculpted grapes (1925)
File:Vitraux Louis Majorelle, Grands Bureaux des Aciéries de Longwy 03.jpg, Window for a steel mill office by Louis Majorelle (1928)
File:Arnaldo Dell'Ira (1903-1943), lampada a grattacielo, 1929.jpg, ''Skyscraper Lamp'' designed by Arnaldo dell'Ira (1929)
File:Vase des années 30 (musée des arts décoratifs) (4782889920).jpg, Daum (studio), Daum vase (1930–35)
File:Cathedral of Amiens glass window.jpg, Stained glass windows at Amiens Cathedral by Jean Gaudin (glass artist), Jean Gaudin (1932–34)
Like the Art Nouveau period before it, Art Deco was an exceptional period for fine glass and other decorative objects, designed to fit their architectural surroundings. The most famous producer of glass objects was René Lalique, whose works, from vases to hood ornaments for automobiles, became symbols of the period. He had made ventures into glass before World War I, designing bottles for the perfumes of François Coty, but he did not begin serious production of art glass until after World War I. In 1918, at the age of 58, he bought a large glass works in Combs-la-Ville and began to manufacture both artistic and practical glass objects. He treated glass as a form of sculpture, and created statuettes, vases, bowls, lamps and ornaments. He used demi-crystal rather than lead crystal, which was softer and easier to form, though not as lustrous. He sometimes used coloured glass, but more often used opalescent glass, where part or the whole of the outer surface was stained with a wash. Lalique provided the decorative glass panels, lights and illuminated glass ceilings for the ocean liners in 1927 and the SS ''Normandie'' in 1935, and for some of the first-class sleeping cars of the French railroads. At the 1925 Exposition of Decorative Arts, he had his own pavilion, designed a dining room with a table setting and matching glass ceiling for the Sèvres Pavilion, and designed a glass fountain for the courtyard of the Cours des Métiers, a slender glass column which spouted water from the sides and was illuminated at night.
Other notable Art Deco glass manufacturers included Marius-Ernest Sabino, who specialized in figurines, vases, bowls, and glass sculptures of fish, nudes, and animals. For these he often used an opalescent glass which could change from white to blue to amber, depending upon the light. His vases and bowls featured molded friezes of animals, nudes or busts of women with fruit or flowers. His work was less subtle but more colourful than that of Lalique.
Other notable Deco glass designers included Edmond Etling, who also used bright opalescent colours, often with geometric patterns and sculpted nudes; Albert Simonet, and Aristide Colotte and Maurice Marinot, who was known for his deeply etched sculptural bottles and vases. The firm of Daum (studio), Daum from the city of Nancy, France, Nancy, which had been famous for its Art Nouveau glass, produced a line of Deco vases and glass sculpture, solid, geometric and chunky in form. More delicate multi-coloured works were made by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, who produced delicately shaded vases with sculpted butterflies and nymphs, and Francois Decorchemont, whose vases were streaked and marbled.
The Great Depression ruined a large part of the decorative glass industry, which depended upon wealthy clients. Some artists turned to designing stained glass windows for churches. In 1937, the Steuben Glass Works, Steuben glass company began the practice of commissioning famous artists to produce glassware. Louis Majorelle, famous for his Art Nouveau furniture, designed a remarkable Art Deco stained glass window portraying steel workers for the offices of the Aciéries de Longwy, a steel mill in Longwy, France.
Amiens Cathedral has a rare example of Art Deco stained glass windows in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, made in 1932-34 by the Paris glass artist Jean Gaudin (glass artist), Jean Gaudin based on drawings by Jacques Le Breton.
Metal art
File:Paul Kiss, kovácsoltvas ajtó alkotása, 1925.jpg, A grill with two wings called ''The Pheasants'', made by Paul Kiss and displayed at the 1925 Exposition of Decorative and Industrial Arts
File:Art Deco screen "Oasis" 1925.jpg, Iron and copper grill called ''Oasis'' by Edgar Brandt, displayed at the 1925 Paris Exposition
File:Spiegel mit Frauenkopf von Franz Hagenauer, um 1930.tif, Table mirror by Franz Hagenauer of Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien ()
File:Norman Bel Geddes. Cocktail Set. 1937..jpg, Cocktail set of chrome-plated steel by Norman Bel Geddes (1937)
Art Deco artists produced a wide variety of practical objects in the Art Deco style, made of industrial materials from traditional wrought iron to chrome-plated steel. The American artist Norman Bel Geddes designed a cocktail set resembling a skyscraper made of chrome-plated steel. Raymond Subes designed an elegant metal grille for the entrance of the Palais de la Porte Dorée, the centre-piece of the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition. The French sculptor Jean Dunand
Jean Dunand (1877–1942) was a Swiss and French painter, sculptor, metal craftsman and interior designer during the Art Deco period. He was particularly known for his lacquered screens and other art objects.
Biography
Jules-John Dunand was bor ...
produced magnificent doors on the theme "The Hunt", covered with gold leaf and paint on plaster (1935).
Animation
Art Deco visuals and imagery was used in multiple animated films including ''Batman: The Animated Series, Batman'', ''Night Hood'', ''All's Fair at the Fair'', ''Merry Mannequins'', ''Page Miss Glory (1936 film), Page Miss Glory'', ''Fantasia (1940 film), Fantasia'' and ''Sleeping Beauty (1959 film), Sleeping Beauty''. The architecture is featured in the fictitious underwater city of Rapture in the Bioshock video game series.
Art Deco architecture around the world
Art Deco architecture began in Europe, but by 1939 there were examples in large cities on every continent and in almost every country. This is a selection of prominent buildings on each continent.
''For a comprehensive list of existing buildings by country, see: List of Art Deco architecture.
Africa
File:Fiat tagliero, 08.JPG, Fiat Tagliero Building in Asmara, Eritrea, by Giuseppe Pettazzi (1938)
File:La Cathédrale de Rabat.jpg, St. Peter's Cathedral, Rabat, St. Peter's Cathedral in Rabat, Morocco (1938)
File:Estação Ressano Garcia.JPG, Railway Station in Ressano Garcia, Mozambique (1945)
Most Art Deco buildings in Africa were built during European colonial rule, and often designed by Italian, French and Portuguese architects.
Asia
File:Jaarbeurs.JPG, Kologdam Building in Bandung, Indonesia (1920)
File:Broadway Mansions pic 1.jpg, Broadway Mansions in Shanghai, China (1934)
File:NewIndiaAssuranceBdg.jpg, New India Assurance Building in Mumbai, India (1936)
File:Diet of Japan Kokkai 2009.jpg, National Diet Building in Tokyo, Japan (1936)
File:Ankara asv2021-10 img19 Railway station.jpg, Ankara railway station in Ankara, Turkey (1937)
File:EID Parry headquarters.jpg, Dare House in Chennai, India (1940)
File:Capella Hanoi - 2022-09-02 02.jpg, Capella Hanoi (2021)
Many Art Deco buildings in Asia were designed by European architects. But in the Philippines, local architects such as Juan Nakpil, Juan Arellano and others were preeminent. Many Art Deco landmarks in Asia were demolished during the great economic expansion of Asia the late 20th century, but some notable enclaves of the architecture still remain, particularly in Shanghai and Mumbai.
Jamuna Bank in Chittagong. It is one of the finest building in the city
:File:Jamuna Bhaban, Chittagong 02.JPG, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jamuna_Bhaban,_Chittagong_02.JPG
Australia and New Zealand
File:The Grace Building, Sydney, 1930 - Max Dupain (4226030071).jpg, Grace Building, Sydney, The Grace Building in Sydney (1930–31)
File:Napier-SoundShell.jpg, Sound Shell in Napier, New Zealand (1931)
File:Castlemaine Art Museum.jpg, 1931 Art Deco facade of the Castlemaine Art Museum, architect Percy Meldrum, H. Orlando Dutton frieze, photographed in 2017
File:GoulburnElmsleaChambers 001.jpg, Elmslea Chambers in Goulburn (1933)
File:ANZAC War Memorial.jpg, Anzac Memorial in Sydney (1934)
File:Holyman House, Launceston.JPG, Holyman House in Launceston, Tasmania (1936)
File:Century tower.jpg, Century Building in Melbourne (1939)
Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, have several notable Art Deco buildings, including the Manchester Unity Building and the former Russell Street Police Headquarters in Melbourne, the Castlemaine Art Museum in Castlemaine, Victoria, Castlemaine, central Victoria and the Grace Building, Sydney, Grace Building, AWA Tower and Anzac Memorial in Sydney.
Several towns in New Zealand, including Napier, New Zealand, Napier and Hastings, New Zealand, Hastings were rebuilt in Art Deco style after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, and many of the buildings have been protected and restored. Napier has been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the first cultural site in New Zealand to be nominated. Wellington has retained a sizeable number of Art Deco buildings.
North America
File:Barclay-Vesey Building 140 West Street.jpg, The Verizon Building in New York City, N.Y., USA (1923–27)
File:SouthBeachMiamiBeach.jpg, Miami Beach Architectural District, Miami Art Deco District in South Beach, Florida, USA (1925-1940s)
File:KiMo Albuquerque.jpg, KiMo Theater's Pueblo Deco architecture in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (1927)
File:Bullocks Wilshire.jpg, Bullocks Wilshire in Los Angeles, California (1929)
File:Edifice Price.jpg, The Édifice Price, Price Building in Quebec City, Canada (1930)
File:Louisiana State Capitol Top.jpg, Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA (1930–32)
File:Buffalo City Hall, Buffalo, NY - IMG 3740.JPG, Buffalo City Hall in Buffalo, New York, USA (1931)
File:Jefferson County Courthouse, Texas.jpg, Jefferson County Courthouse (Texas), Jefferson County Courthouse in Beaumont, Texas, USA (1931)
File:Niagara Mohawk Bldg (Syracuse, NY)a.jpg, Niagara Mohawk Building in Syracuse, New York, Syracuse, N.Y., USA (1932)
File:CMC-Union Terminal.jpg, Cincinnati Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (1933)
File:PBADFCeiling.JPG, Interior of the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Mexico (1934)
File:Vancouver City Hall.jpg, Vancouver City Hall in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (1935)
File:Edificio_El_Moro_2010.JPG, Edificio El Moro in Mexico City (1936)
In Canada, surviving Art Deco structures are mainly in the major cities; Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Ontario, and Vancouver. They range from public buildings like Vancouver City Hall to commercial buildings (College Park (Toronto), College Park) to public works (R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant).
In Mexico, the most imposing Art Deco example is interior of the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), finished in 1934 with its elaborate décor and murals. Examples of Art Deco residential architecture can be found in the Condesa district, many designed by Francisco J. Serrano.
In the United States, Art Deco buildings are found from coast to coast, in all the major cities. It was most widely used for office buildings, train stations, airport terminals, and cinemas; residential buildings are rare. During the 1920s and 1930s architects in the Southwestern United States, particularly in the US state of New Mexico, combined Pueblo Revival architecture, Pueblo Revival with Territorial Style and Art Deco to create Pueblo Deco architecture, Pueblo Deco, as seen in the KiMo Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque. In the 1930s, the more austere streamline style became popular. Many buildings were demolished between 1945 and the late 1960s, but then efforts began to protect the best examples. The City of Miami Beach established the Miami Beach Architectural District to preserve the fine collection of Art Deco buildings found there.
Central America and the Caribbean
Art Deco buildings can be found throughout Central America, including in Cuba.
File:Bacardi Building.jpg, The Bacardi Building (Havana), Bacardi Building in Havana, Cuba (1930)
File:CubaNationalHotel.JPG, The Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana (1930)
File:Havana Art Deco (8703599920).jpg, A rundown Art Deco building in Havana
File:IMG 2684 - Plaza del Mercado Isabel II in Ponce, PR.jpg, The Plaza del Mercado de Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico (1941)
File:Edifício Lopez Serrano (35464009654) cropped2.jpg, Lopez Serrano Building
Europe
File:Theatre-des-champs-elysees-.jpg, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
in Paris, France (1910–13)
File:Estación central de FF.CC. de Helsinki, Finlandia, 2012-08-14, DD 05.JPG, Helsinki Central Station in Helsinki, Finland (1919)
File:Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels (1).jpg, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels, National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg (Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
), Belgium (1919–69)
File:Berlin, Mitte, Schuetzenstrasse, Mosse-Zentrum 05.jpg, The Mossehaus with Art Deco elements by Erich Mendelsohn in Berlin, Germany (1921–23)
File:Hotel_(34595862000).jpg, Éden Theatre in Lisbon, Portugal (1931)
File:Embassy of France, Belgrade, Serbia.jpg, Embassy of France, Belgrade, Embassy of France in Belgrade, Serbia (1933)
File:Express Building Manchester.jpg, Daily Express Building, Manchester, Daily Express Building in Manchester, UK (1936–39)
File:Palais de Tokyo, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.jpg, Palais de Tokyo
The Palais de Tokyo (''Tokyo Palace'') is a building dedicated to modern and contemporary art, located at 13 avenue du Président-Wilson, facing the Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The eastern wing of the building belongs to ...
, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France (1937)
File:Moscow Metro Station platform.JPG, Mayakovskaya (Moscow Metro), Mayakovskaya Station in Moscow, Russia (1938)
File:Porto Teatro Rivoli 4.JPG, Rivoli Theatre (Portugal), Rivoli Theater in Porto, Portugal (1937)
File:Radio Kootwijk Zendgebouw.jpg, Radio Kootwijk in Kootwijk, The Netherlands (1927)
The architectural style first appeared in Paris with the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1910–13) by Auguste Perret but then spread rapidly around Europe, until examples could be found in nearly every large city, from London to Moscow. In Germany two variations of Art Deco flourished in the 1920s and 30s: The New Objectivity (architecture), Neue Sachlichkeit style and Expressionist architecture. Notable examples include Erich Mendelsohn's Mossehaus and Schaubühne theater in Berlin, Fritz Höger's Chilehaus in Hamburg and his Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz in Berlin, the Anzeiger Tower in Hanover and the Borsig Tower in Berlin.
One of the largest Art Deco buildings in Western Europe is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels, National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, Brussels. In 1925, architect Albert van Huffel won the Grand Prize for Architecture with his scale model of the basilica at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.
Spain and Portugal have some striking examples of Art Deco buildings, particularly movie theaters. Examples in Portugal are the Capitólio Theater (1931) and the Éden Cine-Theatre (1937) in Lisbon, the Rivoli Theatre (Portugal), Rivoli Theater (1937) and the Coliseu do Porto, Coliseu (1941) in Porto and the Rosa Damasceno Theater (1937) in Santarém, Portugal, Santarém. An example in Spain is the Cine Rialto in Valencia (1939).
During the 1930s, Art Deco had a noticeable effect on house design in the United Kingdom, as well as the design of various public buildings. Straight, white-rendered house frontages rising to flat roofs, sharply geometric door surrounds and tall windows, as well as convex-curved metal corner windows, were all characteristic of that period.
The London Underground is famous for many examples of Art Deco architecture, and there are a number of buildings in the style situated along the Golden Mile (Brentford), Golden Mile in Brentford. Also in West London is the Hoover Building, which was originally built for The Hoover Company and was converted into a superstore in the early 1990s.
Bucharest, Romania
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, once known as the "Little Paris" of the 19th century, engaged in a new designs after World War I, redirected its inspiration towards New York City. The 1930s brought a new fashion which echoed in the cinema, theatre, dancing styles, art and architecture. Bucharest during the 1930s was marked by more and more art deco architecture from the bigger boulevards like Bulevardul Magheru to the private houses and smaller districts. The Bucharest Telephone Palace, Telephone Palace, an early landmark of modern Bucharest, was the first skyscraper of the city. It was the tallest building between 1933 and the 1950s, with a height of . The architects were Louis Weeks and Edmond van Saanen Algi and engineer Walter Troy. The art deco monuments are a crucial part of the character of Bucharest since they describe and mark an important period from its history, the interbellic life (World War I–World War II). Most of the buildings from those years are prone to catastrophe, as Bucharest is located in an earthquake zone.
India
The Indian Institute of Architects, founded in Mumbai in 1929, played a prominent role in propagating the Art Deco movement. In November 1937, this institute organised the 'Ideal Home Exhibition' held in the Town Hall in Mumbai which spanned over 12 days and attracted about one hundred thousand visitors. As a result, it was declared a success by the 'Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects'. The exhibits displayed the 'ideal', or better described as the most 'modern' arrangements for various parts of the house, paying close detail to avoid architectural blunders and present the most efficient and well-thought-out models. The exhibition focused on various elements of a home ranging from furniture, elements of interior decoration as well as radios and refrigerators using new and scientifically relevant materials and methods.
Guided by their desire to emulate the west, the Indian architects were fascinated by the industrial modernity that Art Deco offered. The western elites were the first to experiment with the technologically advanced facets of Art Deco, and architects began the process of transformation by the early 1930s.
Mumbai's expanding port commerce in the 1930s resulted in the growth of educated middle class population. It also saw an increase of people migrating to Mumbai in search of job opportunities. This led to the pressing need for new developments through Land Reclamation Schemes and construction of new public and residential buildings. Parallelly, the changing political climate in the country and the aspirational quality of the Art Deco aesthetics led to a whole-hearted acceptance of the building style in the city's development. Most of the buildings from this period can be seen spread throughout the city neighbourhoods in areas such as Churchgate, Colaba, Fort, Mohammed Ali Road, Cumbala Hill, Dadar, Matunga, Bandra and Chembur.
South America
File:Elevador Lacerda dia.jpg, Lacerda Elevator in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil (1930)
File:Kavanagh building.jpg, Kavanagh building in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1934–36)
File:Viaduto do Chá - "Viaduto do Chá" viaduct (9630396439).jpg, Viaduto do Chá in São Paulo, Brazil (1938)
File:Estádio do Pacaembu, Sao Paulo 2017 002.jpg, Pacaembu Stadium in São Paulo (1940)
File:Estação Central do Brasil.jpg, Central do Brasil Station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1943)
File:Altino Arantes Building.jpg, Altino Arantes Building in São Paulo (1947)
File:Palacio Municipal de Laprida, vista desde la plaza.JPG, Palacio Municipal and fountain in Laprida, Buenos Aires, Laprida (Buenos Aires)
File:Mercado de Abasto de Buenos Aires, ca 1945 (AGNA).jpg, The Abasto de Buenos Aires, Abasto Market in Buenos Aires ()
Art Deco in South America is especially present in countries which received a great wave of immigration in the first half of the 20th century, with notable works in their richest cities, like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina. The Kavanagh building in Buenos Aires (1934), by Sánchez, Lagos and de la Torre, was the tallest reinforced-concrete structure when it was completed, and is a notable example of late Art Deco style.
Preservation and Neo Art Deco
File:Delano National MiamiBeach.JPG, The Miami Beach Architectural District in Miami, Florida, protects historical Art Deco buildings
File:37 Calea Victoriei, Bucharest (02).jpg, The Bucharest Telephone Palace on Calea Victoriei, Victory Avenue in Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, Romania, qualified as a ''monument istoric'' (Romanian language, Romanian for ''historic monument'')
File:U-Drop Inn.jpg, The U-Drop Inn, a roadside gas station and diner on U.S. Highway 66 in Shamrock, Texas (1936), now a historical monument
File:Havana Art Deco (8862331012).jpg, Art Deco street in Havana, Cuba
File:Smithcenterlv.jpg, Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada, a neo-Art Deco building (2012)
File:Taksim Mosque, 2021 (2) (cropped).jpg, Taksim Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey (2021)
In many cities, efforts have been made to protect the remaining Art Deco buildings. In many U.S. cities, historic art deco cinemas have been preserved and turned into cultural centres. Even more modest art deco buildings have been preserved as part of America's architectural heritage; an art deco café and gas station along Route 66 in Shamrock, Texas is an historic monument. The Miami Beach Architectural District protects several hundred old buildings, and requires that new buildings comply with the style. In Havana, Cuba, many Art Deco buildings have badly deteriorated. Efforts are underway to bring the buildings back to their original appearance.
In the 21st century, modern variants of Art Deco, called Neo Art Deco (or Neo-Art Deco), have appeared in some American cities, inspired by the classic Art Deco buildings of the 1920s and 1930s. Examples include the NBC Tower in Chicago, inspired by 30 Rockefeller Plaza
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Completed in 1933, the 66 ...
in New York City; and Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada, which includes art deco features from Hoover Dam, 80 km (50 miles) away.
Gallery
File:Guardians of Traffic.jpg, ''Guardians of Traffic'' pylon on Hope Memorial Bridge in Cleveland (1932)
File:Municipal Auditorium art deco chandelier.jpg, Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Missouri), Municipal Auditorium of Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri: Hoit Price & Barnes, and Gentry, Voskamp & Neville, 1935
File:Niagara Mohawk Bldg (Syracuse, NY).jpg, Niagara Mohawk Building, Syracuse, New York. Melvin L. King and Bley & Lyman, architects, completed 1932
File:Mexican art deco.jpg, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Federico Mariscal, completed 1934
File:Paramount Ladies Lounge.jpg, Women's Smoking Room at the Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California), Paramount Theatre, Oakland. Timothy L. Pflueger, architect, 1931
File:Rytm2.jpg, Henryk Kuna, ''Rytm'' ("Rhythm"), in Skaryszewski Park, Warsaw, Poland, 1925
File:Snowdon Theatre (Montreal).jpg, Snowdon Theatre (Montreal), Snowdon Theatre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Daniel J. Crighton, architect. Opened 1937, closed 1984.
File:WPAMilkPoster1940.jpg, Federal Art Project
The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administrati ...
poster promoting milk drinking in Cleveland, 1940
File:Empire State Lobby-27527.jpg, Lobby, Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
, New York City. William F. Lamb
William Frederick Lamb (November 21, 1883 – September 8, 1952), was an American architect, chiefly known as one of the principal designers of the Empire State Building.
Biography
Lamb joined the New York architecture firm Carrère & Has ...
, opened 1931
File:DontKillWildlifeWPA1940.jpg, U.S. Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
poster, John Wagner, artist, ca. 1940
File:Cincinnati Union Terminal 29.jpg, Rotunda ceiling of Cincinnati Union Terminal, Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio; Paul Philippe Cret, Alfred T. Fellheimer, Steward Wagner, Roland Wank, 1933
File:US 853.jpg, U.S. postage stamp commemorating the 1939 New York World's Fair, 1939
File:Nowogrodzka 45 w Warszawie orzeł.jpg, Polish coat of arms (unofficial) on the facade of the post office in Warsaw, Julian Puterman-Sadłowski, architect, 1934
File:BudynekFeniksa-RzeźbaNarożna-RynekGłówny-POL%2C_Kraków.jpg, The Statue of Hygieia in Art Deco style in Cracow, Poland (1932).
See also
* Art Deco in Paris
* Roaring Twenties
* 1920s in Western fashion
* Années folles
* 1933 Chicago World's Fair Century of Progress
* 1936 Fair Park built for Texas Centennial Exposition
* Art Deco stamps
* Pueblo Deco architecture
* Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
References
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External links
Art Deco Miami Beach
Art Deco Mumbai
Art Deco Montreal
Art Deco Society of Washington
Art Deco Society of California
Art Deco Rio de Janeiro
Art Deco Shanghai
Art Deco Museum in Moscow
Art Deco Society New York
Art Deco Society of Los Angeles
Art Deco Walk in Montreal
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Art Deco architecture,
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