Modern Style (British Art Nouveau Style), Modern Style
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Modern Style is a style of architecture, art, and design that first emerged in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
in the mid-1880s. It is the first
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 ...
style worldwide, and it represents the evolution of the Arts and Crafts movement which was native to
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
. Britain not only provided the base and intellectual background for the Art Nouveau movement, which was adapted by other countries to give birth to local variants; they also played an over-sized role in its dissemination and cultivation through the ''
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
'' department store and '' The Studio'' magazine. The most important person in the field of design in general and architecture in particular, was Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He created one of the key motifs of the movement, now known as the 'Mackintosh rose' or 'Glasgow rose'. The Glasgow School was also of tremendous importance, particularly due to a group closely associated with Mackintosh, known as 'The Four'. The Liberty store nurturing of style gave birth to two metalware lines, Cymric and Tudric. Archibald Knox was a defining person of these lines and metalware of the style. In the field of ceramic and glass
Christopher Dresser Christopher Dresser (4 July 1834 – 24 November 1904) was a British designer and design theorist, now widely known as one of the first and most important, independent designers. He was a pivotal figure in the Aesthetic Movement and a major cont ...
is a standout figure. Not only did he work with the most prominent ceramic manufacturers but became a crucial person behind James Couper & Sons trademarking of Clutha glass inspired by ancient Rome in 1888. Aubrey Beardsley was a defining person in graphic and drawing, and influenced painting and style in general. In textiles
William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...
and C. F. A. Voysey are of huge importance, although most artists were versatile and worked in many mediums and fields, influencing them all to an extent. Because of the natural evolution of Arts and Crafts to Modern Style, lines can be blurred and many designers, artists, and craftsmen worked in both styles simultaneously. Important figures include
Charles Robert Ashbee Charles Robert Ashbee (17 May 1863 – 23 May 1942) was an English architect and designer who was a prime mover of the Arts and Crafts movement, which took its craft ethic from the works of John Ruskin and its co-operative structure from the soc ...
,
Walter Crane Walter Crane (15 August 184514 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and K ...
,
Léon-Victor Solon Léon-Victor Solon (17 April 1873 – 27 December 1957), son of ceramist Marc-Louis Solon, was an English painter, ceramist, and graphic artist. He was a purveyor of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles and an important Modern Style (British Art Nou ...
,
George Skipper George John Skipper (1856–1948) was a leading Norwich-based architect of the late Victorian and Edwardian period. Writer and poet, John Betjeman said of him "he is altogether remarkable and original. He was to Norwich what Gaudi was to Ba ...
,
Charles Harrison Townsend Charles Harrison Townsend (13 May 1851 — 26 December 1928) was an English architect. He was born in Birkenhead, educated at Birkenhead School and articled to the Liverpool architect Walter Scott in 1870. He moved to London with his family in 1880 ...
, Arthur Mackmurdo,
William James Neatby William James Neatby (24 May 1860 – 20 April 1910), often W. J. Neatby, was an English architect, designer and artist. He is best known for his designs of architectural ceramics and was Doulton and Co.'s chief ceramic designer. His standout wo ...
.


History


Origins

Art Nouveau had its origins in Britain, mainly in the work of
William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...
and Arts and Crafts movement which was founded by students of Morris. Through Morris, formative and essential influence will be
Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James ...
, which was in turn championed and sometimes even financially supported by
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...
. Ruskin's influence on the formation of Arts and Crafts and Modern Style is hard to overstate. Arts and Crafts movement called for better treatment of decorative arts, believed all objects should be made beautiful and took inspiration from folklore, medieval craftsmanship and design, and nature. Red House, Bexleyheath (1860), architectural work by Philip Webb with interiors done by William Morris is one of the early prototypes. Work of Arthur Mackmurdo is the earliest fully realized form of the Art Nouveau, his ''Mahogany chair'' from 1883 and design for a cover for essay ''Wren's City Churches'' are recognized by art historians as the very first works in the new style.Art Nouveau by Rosalind Ormiston and Michael Robinson, 58 Mackmurdo's work shows influence of another British illustrator
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
, whose designs for '' Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' from 1789 certainly point to even earlier origin of Art Nouveau. Unlike Europe, in Great Britain there was no radical break, no revolution. Artists and architects simply continued spirit of innovation, which was the essence of Arts and Crafts. Art Nouveau is natural evolution of Arts and Crafts movement.


Development

Fertile ground for this new style will be Scotland, Glasgow in particular. The city already had significant artistic activity, The Glasgow Art Institute was founded in 1879. As pretty much every European variation it will be influenced by
Japonisme ''Japonisme'' is a French term that refers to the popularity and influence of Japanese art and design among a number of Western European artists in the nineteenth century following the forced reopening of foreign trade with Japan in 1858. Japon ...
which was in vogue but with the addition of
Celtic revival The Celtic Revival (also referred to as the Celtic Twilight) is a variety of movements and trends in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries that see a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture. Artists and writers drew on the traditions of Gael ...
and its nationalistic tone. Archibald Knox was prominent figure in formation of new style that built on the foundation of Arts and Crafts with conscious addition of Celtic elements, as he was from the Isle of Man and interested in his Celtic roots.
Christopher Dresser Christopher Dresser (4 July 1834 – 24 November 1904) was a British designer and design theorist, now widely known as one of the first and most important, independent designers. He was a pivotal figure in the Aesthetic Movement and a major cont ...
and his interest in Japanese design will add important ingredient information of Modern Style.Art Nouveau by Rosalind Ormiston and Michael Robinson, 57 Style did exist in England as well, but artists there gravitated slightly more towards Arts and Crafts. Most prominent figures will be Charles Rennie Mackintosh and people closely associated with him also known as "The Four", and the Glasgow School because of which style was also known as the "Glasgow Style". Pieces designed by William Morris, Archibald Knox, and Christopher Dresser were on sale in a newly opened department store called Liberty, in London's Regent Street, in 1875.
Arthur Lasenby Liberty Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty (13 August 1843 – 11 May 1917) was a London-based merchant, and the founder of Liberty & Co. Early life Arthur Liberty was born on 13 August 1843 in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England, the son of a draper. He be ...
with his great business skills fused Arts and Crafts aesthetic, Celtic Britain with popular demand for oriental design. He opened the second store in Paris in 1890. In the 1890s, Liberty (department store) collaborated with many British designers and artists, mainly working in Arts and Crafts style that has by then evolved in Art Nouveau. The store became synonymous with the new style, to the extent that Art Nouveau is sometimes called Stile Liberty in Italy. Both styles co-existed and numerous artists contributed to both styles and played role in developing them. Therefore, blurring the lines and distinction, a good example of this is Charles Rennie Mackintosh whose architecture work was very much in the Glasgow style, but parts of the interior in those same buildings could lean more in Arts and Crafts direction, particularly when it comes to furniture. In 1900, the ''Glasgow Four'' and some English artists like Charles Robert Ashbee with his Guild and School of Handicraft from London were invited to participate in 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 ...
's 8th exhibition. They were huge influence on the artists of Vienna Secession and Viennese art scene. Modern Style artists will strongly influence Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann, and inspire them to establish Wiener Werkstätte. Influence of British was vast and Anglomania was unbearable for some, writer Charles Genuys in 1897 declares it is time to shake it off. In 1901
Jean Lahor Henri Cazalis (; 9 March 1840, Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Val-d'Oise – 1 July 1909, Geneva) was a French physician who was a symbolist poet and man of letters and wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Caselli and Jean Lahor. His works include: *''Cha ...
stated that William Morris and John Ruskin are precursors to Art Nouveau. File:Crane_toybook.jpg,
Walter Crane Walter Crane (15 August 184514 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and K ...
(1874) cover for toybook File:Liberty department store London.jpg, Liberty (department store) (1875) File:Wave_bowl_MET_LC-2001_549-001.jpg, ''Wave bowl'' by
Christopher Dresser Christopher Dresser (4 July 1834 – 24 November 1904) was a British designer and design theorist, now widely known as one of the first and most important, independent designers. He was a pivotal figure in the Aesthetic Movement and a major cont ...
(1880) File:Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy AA, object 1.jpg, ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' (1789) by
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
File:MackmurdoWren1883.gif, Cover design by Arthur Mackmurdo for a book on
Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...
(1883) File:Chair LACMA M.2009.115 (5 of 5).jpg, ''Mahogany chair'' by Arthur Mackmurdo (1883)


Painting

The decisive inlueces on the painting, and one of formative influences on the style in general will be
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James ...
. They will influence Arts and Crafts movement,
Symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: Arts * Symbolism (arts), a 19th-century movement rejecting Realism ** Symbolist movement in Romania, symbolist literature and visual arts in Romania during the late 19th and early 20th centuries ** Russian sy ...
, Aestheticism and Modern Style. Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones are among most important figures associated with the brotherhood. The group known as ''"The Four"'' will make the biggest impact in the field of painting and the style in general. The group consisted of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, his friend
Herbert MacNair James Herbert MacNair (23 December 1868 – 22 April 1955), was a Scottish artist, designer and teacher whose work contributed to the development of the Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) during the 1890s. Early life Born in Glasgow ...
, and sisters Frances MacDonald and
Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh (5 November 1864 – 7 January 1933) was an English-born artist who worked in Scotland, and whose design work became one of the defining features of the Glasgow Style during the 1890s - 1900s. Biography Born Marga ...
. ''"The Four"'' met at painting classes at Glasgow School of art in 1891. Frances married Herbert in 1899 and Margaret married Charles in 1900. Although all were great artists in their own right, Margaret was a stand out when it comes to painting, she greatly influenced Charles and he praised her as a genius. Both sisters were influenced by the work of
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
and Aubrey Beardsley and this is reflected in their use of elongated figures and linear elements. Margaret exhibited with her husband at the 1900 Vienna Secession, where they were an influence on
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 ...
, Josef Hoffmann, and artist that will form Wiener Werkstätte. They continued to be popular in the Viennese art scene, both exhibiting at the Viennese International Art Exhibit in 1909. In 1902, the couple received a major Viennese commission:
Fritz Waerndorfer Friedrich Waerndorfer, originally Wärndorfer (5 May 1868 – 9 August 1939), was an Austrian entrepreneur, patron of the arts, and founding member of the Wiener Werkstätte. He was also known as Fred Warndorf. Early life Wärndorfer was born ...
, the initial financer of the Wiener Werkstätte, was building a new villa outside Vienna showcasing the work of many local architects. Hoffmann and Koloman Moser were already designing two of its rooms; he invited the Mackintoshes to design the music room. That room was decorated with panels of Margaret's art: the ''Opera of the Winds'', the ''Opera of the Seas'', and the ''Seven Princesses'', a new wall-sized triptych considered by some to be her finest work. This collaboration was described by contemporary critic Amelia Levetus as "perhaps their greatest work, for they were allowed perfectly free scope". File:Bessie_MacNicol_-_The_Fur_Coat.jpg, ''The Fur Coat'' circa 1890s, by
Bessie MacNicol Elizabeth "Bessie" MacNicol (1869–1904) was a Scottish painter and member of the Glasgow Girls group of artists affiliated with the Glasgow School of artists. Early life and education MacNicol was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 5 July 1869, ...
File:Dolcibella_by_neatby.jpg, ''Dolcibella'' 1899, by W. J. Neatby File:"The May Queen" de Margaret Macdonald (Glasgow) (3803689322).jpg, alt=The May Queen, 1900., ''The May Queen'', 1900. by Margaret MacDonald File:Frances MacDonald - Floral Design 1901.jpg, File:Margaret MacDonald - Opera Of The Winds 1903.jpg, ''Opera Of The Winds'', 1903. by Margaret MacDonald File:'The_Heart_of_the_Rose'_by_William_James_Neatby,_paint_on_plaster,_Wolfsonian-FIU_Museum.JPG, ''The Heart of the Rose'' circa 1903, by W.J.Neatby File:MacNair,_The_Gift_of_Doves.jpg, The Gift of Doves, 1904. by Herbert MacNair


Graphic and drawing

The first appearance of the curving, sinuous forms that came to be called Art Nouveau is traditionally attributed to
Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (12 December 1851 – 15 March 1942) was a progressive English architect and designer, who influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement, notably through the Century Guild of Artists, which he set up in partnership wit ...
(1851–1942) in 1883. They were soon adopted by
pre-Raphaelite The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James ...
painter Edward Burne-Jones and Aubrey Beardsley in the 1890s. They were following the advice of the art historian and critic
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...
, who urged artists to "go to nature" for their inspiration. In Britain, one of the first leading graphic artists in what became Art Nouveau style was Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898). He began with engraved book illustrations for ''
Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...
'', then black and white illustrations for ''
Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, an ...
'' by
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
(1893), which brought him fame. In the same year, he began engraving illustrations and posters for the art magazine ''The Studio'', which helped publicize European artists such as
Fernand Khnopff Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff (12 September 1858 – 12 November 1921) was a Belgian symbolist painter. Life Youth and training Fernand Khnopff was born to a wealthy family that was part of the high bourgeoisie for generations. Khnopf ...
in Britain. The curving lines and intricate floral patterns attracted as much attention as the text. Salomé- a tragedy in one act pg 79.jpg, ''The Dancers Reward'', '' Salomé: a tragedy in one act'' by Beardsley Thestudiomagazinefirstcover.jpg, First issue of '' The Studio'', with cover by Beardsley (1893) John+Salome.jpg, ''John the Baptist and Salome'', 1893–4
by Beardsley Venus between terminal gods beardsley.jpg, ''Venus between Terminal Gods'', 1895 by Beardsley Aubrey_Beardsley_Beardsley_-_Isolde.jpg, ''Isolde'', illustration in ''Pan'' magazine, 1899 by Beardsley Illustration_from_%27Ver_Sacrum%27_-_Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_-_1901.jpg, Illustration from ''Ver Sacrum'' magazine - Charles Rennie Mackintosh - 1901


Architecture

The most prominent architect of Modern Style is Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He was based in Glasgow and took inspiration from Scottish baronial architecture fusing it with organic forms of plants and simplicity of Japanese design. This unique blend will give birth to a modern and distinct style for which he is known. He considered Scottish Baronial to be the national style of Scotland, and in 1890 he delivered a lecture to Glasgow Architectural Association on the subject of Scottish Baronial: 'How different is the study of Scottish Baronial architecture. Its original examples are at our doors... the monuments of our forefathers, the works of men bearing our own name'. Along with his most famous work,
Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; gd, Sgoil-ealain Ghlaschu) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and ...
almost all buildings he created are notable and important like
Scotland Street School Museum Scotland Street School Museum is a museum of school education in Glasgow, Scotland, in the district of Kingston. It is located in a former school designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh between 1903 and 1906. The building is one of Glasgow's fore ...
, Queen's Cross Church, Glasgow,
Hill House, Helensburgh Hill House in Helensburgh, Scotland is a building by architects and designers Charles and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. The house is a prominent example of the Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style). It was designed and built for the pub ...
. Along with built designs, there are quite few who were not built. He was moderately successful as an architect but will be brought to fame and his significance will be fully understood only after his death. One of his designs that were built posthumously is
House for an Art Lover The House for an Art Lover is a building constructed between 1989 and 1996 and based on a 1901 design by Charles Rennie Mackintosh Charles Rennie Mackintosh (7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928) was a Scottish architect, designer, water colou ...
. Recurring motif in his designs is what will become known as the ''Mackintosh Rose'' or ''Glasgow Rose''. Another important architect was
George Skipper George John Skipper (1856–1948) was a leading Norwich-based architect of the late Victorian and Edwardian period. Writer and poet, John Betjeman said of him "he is altogether remarkable and original. He was to Norwich what Gaudi was to Ba ...
, who had a great impact on the city of
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
. His stand out work is
Royal Arcade, Norwich The Royal Arcade is a grade II* listed shopping arcade in Norwich's city centre which runs from Norwich Market on its west side to the Back of the Inns. It was architected by George Skipper, designed by William James Neatby of Royal Doulton, ...
which has 24 wooden bow-fronted shops and faience designed by W.J.Neatby. Writer and poet, John Betjeman said of Skipper: "He is altogether remarkable and original. He was to Norwich what Gaudi was to Barcelona"
Everard's Printing Works The Former Everard's Printing Works () is at 37-38 Broad Street in Bristol, England. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building. It was built in 1900 by Henry Williams, with the Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) facade by W.J ...
in Bristol is another icon of Modern Style. Architectural work by Henry Williams celebrates the history of printing from Gutenberg to William Morris. The facade is decorated with tiles in design by W.J.Neatby. James Salmon (architect, born 1873) native of Glasgow who attended Glasgow School of Art from 1888 until 1895, and completed his apprenticeship in the office of William Leiper (1839–1916) had unique opus as well. "The Hatrack" (1899–1902) in St Vincent Street is his most famous work, with plenty of glass, highly detailed Modern Style facade and distinctive cupola that gave buildings its nickname.
Charles Harrison Townsend Charles Harrison Townsend (13 May 1851 — 26 December 1928) was an English architect. He was born in Birkenhead, educated at Birkenhead School and articled to the Liverpool architect Walter Scott in 1870. He moved to London with his family in 1880 ...
made a significant contribution to the style, some claim he was the only English architect to have worked in the new style. Like all architects and artist working in the new style he displays an affinity for nature motifs but his motif of choice was the tree. Leslie Green was a Londoner who designed significant number of iconic
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
stations in his hometown. His use of
oxblood Oxblood or ox-blood is a dark shade of red. It resembles burgundy, but has less purple and more dark brown hues. The French term sang-de-bœuf, or sang de bœuf, with the same meaning (but also "ox blood") is used in various contexts in Engli ...
glazed architectural terra-cotta on the exterior of stations gave them distinct and somewhat flamboyant appearance. For the interiors he used the pleasant
bottle-green Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation or intensity) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint be ...
terra-cotta. File:Bishopsgate Institute, Bishopsgate, EC2.jpg, Bishopsgate Institute by Townsend (1892–94) File:Fox_and_Anchor,_Farringdon,_EC1_(2486430867).jpg, The
Fox and Anchor The Fox and Anchor is a Grade II listed public house at 115 Charterhouse Street, Farringdon, London. It was designed by the architect Latham Withall and built in 1898 by W. H. Lascelles & Co. Architectural ceramics and sculpture by Royal ...
by
Latham Withall Latham Augustus Withall OBE (1853 - 1925) was a British architect who practised in Adelaide, South Australia from 1876 to 1888. While in Adelaide he was for a time in partnership with Ernest Bayer, then with Alfred Wells. Work with Wells inc ...
(1898) File:New_Palace_Theatre_Plymouth.jpg, The
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
by Wimperis & Arber (1898) File:The Whitechapel Gallery.jpg, The
Whitechapel Gallery The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery in Whitechapel on the north side of Whitechapel High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the fir ...
by Townsend (1895–99) File:2004 norwich 05.JPG, The Royal Arcade, Norwich by George Skipper (1898–99) File:Bâtiment_Art_Nouveau_à_Leicester.jpg, The Turkey Cafe by
Arthur Wakerley Arthur Wakerley (May 15, 1862 – 4 April 1931) was a British architect, businessman and politician. Life Born in Melton Mowbray, he was articled to James Bird. He was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and sometime President of ...
(1900) File:Horniman Museum.jpg, The Horniman Museum by Townsend (1898–1901) File:Drawing for 'Windy Hill'.jpg,
Windy Hill, Kilmacolm Windy Hill or Windyhill is a house designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and furnished by him and his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald, in Kilmacolm, Scotland. It is Category A listed building, Category A listed and remains ...
by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1901) File:The Willow Tearooms Glasgow.jpg,
The Willow Tearooms The Willow Tearooms are tearooms at 217 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Scotland, designed by internationally renowned architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which opened for business in October 1903. They quickly gained enormous popularity, and are ...
by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1903) File:The Museum - geograph.org.uk - 429777.jpg,
Pontefract Museum Pontefract Museum is a local museum in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The collections cover archaeology, archives, decorative and applied art, fine art, photographs and social history. History The museum is located in an Art Nouveau buil ...
by George Pennington (1904) File:Christchurch Methodists - geograph.org.uk - 953150.jpg,
Christ Church Methodist Church Christ Church Methodist Church is a Grade II listed English church in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England. History The congregation formed in 1849 as the result of a split in methodism in Long Eaton. They first met the large kitchen of Mr. Winfield ...
by Arthur Brewill and Basil Baily (1903-1904) File:Russell_Square_tube_station,_September_2016_07.jpg, The Russell Square tube station by Green (1906) File:Flickr_-_Duncan~_-_Strand_Station.jpg, The disused Strand station by Green (1907) File:Royal Liver Building.jpg, The
Royal Liver Building The Royal Liver Building is a Grade I listed building in Liverpool, England. It is located at the Pier Head and along with the neighbouring Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building is one of Liverpool's '' Three Graces'', which line the ...
by Walter Aubrey Thomas (1908-1911) File:Bibendum.jpg, Michelin House by François Espinasse (1910-1911)


Metalware and jewellery

Cymric was the name given to a range of original silver and jewellery that A. L. Liberty sponsored in 1898, and which was first exhibited at his shop in the spring of the following year. Although the mark registered at the Goldsmiths’ Company was entered in his name, the majority of the silver and jewellery was made by W. H. Haseler of Birmingham, who became a joint partner in the project, after designs supplied by Oliver Baker and the
Silver Studio The Silver Studio was one of the most influential textile design studios in the UK from its formation in 1880 until the middle of the twentieth century. The studio, founded by Arthur Silver (1853–1896) designed some of the most famous fabric, w ...
. Archibald Knox, a Manxman who had worked for Christopher Dresser, was one of the most gifted designers employed by the Silver Studio; he supplied the majority of Liberty metalwork designs between 1899 and 1912. Tudric was the range name for pewterware made by W.H. Haseler's of Birmingham. The chief designer being Archibald Knox, together with David Veazey, Oliver Baker, and Rex Silver. Liberty & Co began producing Tudric in 1901 and continued to the 1930s. Tudric pewter differentiated from other pewters with better quality, it had a higher content of silver. Pewter is traditionally known as "the poor man's silver". Guild and School of Handicraft established in 1888 by
Charles Robert Ashbee Charles Robert Ashbee (17 May 1863 – 23 May 1942) was an English architect and designer who was a prime mover of the Arts and Crafts movement, which took its craft ethic from the works of John Ruskin and its co-operative structure from the soc ...
made a significant contribution to the style in the medium. One of the founding members and first instructor in metalwork was John Pearson. Pearson is most famous for his work in copper, and his innovation of beating the copper out against a block of lead. Guild designs of belt buckles, jewellery, cutlery, and tableware were notable in influencing German and Austrian Art Nouveau artists. File:Tobacco_canister_from_the_Tudric_series,_by_Archibald_Knox,_Liberty_%26_Co.,_London,_c._1902,_tin_-_Hessisches_Landesmuseum_Darmstadt_-_Darmstadt,_Germany_-_DSC01099.jpg File:Archibald_knox_per_liberty_%26_co.,_scatola_per_biscotti_tudric,_peltro_e_smalti,_1903.jpg File:Archibald_knox_per_liberty_%26_co.,_porta_sigarette,_argento_con_smalti,_1907.jpg File:%27Bollelin%27_pewter_plate_designed_by_Archibald_Knox.jpg File:Archibald_Knox_candle_holder.jpg File:Candlesticks,_designed_by_Archibald_Knox,_made_by_W._H._Haseler,_Birmingham,_for_Liberty_%26_Co.,_London,_undated,_tin_-_Bröhan_Museum,_Berlin_-_DSC03942.JPG File:Beer_stein,_designed_by_Archibald_Knox,_made_by_W._H._Haseler,_Birmingham,_for_Liberty_%26_Co.,_London,_1900,_silver,_enamel_-_Bröhan_Museum,_Berlin_-_DSC03938.JPG File:Ornamental_vase,_designed_by_Archibald_Knox,_made_by_W._H._Haseler,_Birmingham,_for_Liberty_%26_Co.,_London,_c._1903,_cast_tin_-_Bröhan_Museum,_Berlin_-_DSC03934.JPG File:Table_clock_%27The_Magnus%27,_designed_by_Archibald_Knox,_made_by_W._H._Haseler,_Birmingham,_for_Liberty_%26_Co.,_London,_1902,_silver,_enamel_-_Bröhan_Museum,_Berlin_-_DSC03941.JPG File:Small_pan_with_spoon,_designed_by_Charles_Robert_Ashbee,_made_by_Guild_of_Handicraft_Ltd.,_London,_c._1902,_silver_-_Bröhan_Museum,_Berlin_-_DSC03937.JPG File:Sporting_cup,_Charles_Robert_Ashbee_designer,_Arthur_Cameron_and_John_Kirsten_Bailey_makers,_The_Guild_of_Handicraft,_Britain,_1899,_silver,_enamel,_carnelian_-_Dallas_Museum_of_Art_-_DSC05196.jpg File:Cymric_Brooch,_ca._1905_(CH_51685159).jpg File:Liberty_%27Cymric%27_style_silver_ladies%27_belt_clasps.JPG File:"Cymric"_lines_Button,_1900–03_(CH_18622617).jpg File:"Coronation"_Presentation_Spoon,_1901_(CH_18653115).jpg


Textiles and wallpaper

Thanks to William Morris, this medium will go through a renaissance. He did away with luxurious jacquard weaved silk furnishings on one end, and with cheap roller printed textiles and wallpapers on others. The focus of his attention, in Arts and Crafts spirit, was on traditional craft-based hand block printing and hand weaving. He will fully utilize these mediums with new patterns and unleash creativity in pattern design, shining new light, and changing people's perception of home furnishings. William's most iconic forms were unique plant-based compositions, in wallpaper from 1864 and printed textiles from 1874. Plants native to England were the essence of his design. C.F.A. Voysey will make a huge contribution to the field. Although an architect by profession he will be persuaded by his friend, Arthur Heygate Macmurdo, to try designing wallpapers. His designs were easier on the eye, one of his aphorisms was ''To be simple is the end, not the beginning, of design''. He was admired on the continent by figures like Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde. In 1900 ''Journal of Decorative Art'' calls him ''fountainhead'' and ''the prophet'' of Art Nouveau. Silver Studio founded by Arthur Silver in 1880 and later inherited by his son, Rex Silver, will have its heyday roughly from 1890 to 1910, at the peak of Modern Style. The studio started with Japanese inspired designs and will establish an important relationship with the Liberty department store, for which a lot of designs will be produced. Many talented designers worked for the studio, including John Illingworth Kay, Harry Napper, and Archibald Knox. In 1897 '' The Studio'' reported that ''le style Anglais'' was invading France, and that ''the majority of designers and manufacturers are content to copy and disfigure English patterns''. The huge popularity of designs was reflected in the fact that by 1906 the number of designs sold to European manufacturers was 40%. Charles_Francis_Annesley_Voysey_-_Tulip_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg, Voysey (1893)


Ceramics

Christopher Dresser is without a doubt most important ceramicist England had at the time, and maybe ever. His interest in ceramic will start in the 1860s and he will work for firms such as
Linthorpe Art Pottery Linthorpe Art Pottery was a British pottery that operated between 1878 and 1890 in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough. It produced art pottery, and is especially known for the early collaboration of the designer Christopher Dresser; many of the early war ...
, Mintons,
Wedgwood Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...
,
Royal Worcester Royal Worcester is a porcelain brand based in Worcester, England. It was established in 1751 and is believed to be the oldest or second oldest remaining English porcelain brand still in existence today, although this is disputed by Royal Crown De ...
, Watcombe, Linthorpe, Old Hall at
Hanley Hanley is one of the six towns that, along with Burslem, Longton, Fenton, Tunstall and Stoke-upon-Trent, amalgamated to form the City of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. Hanley is the ''de facto'' city centre, having long been the ...
and Ault. He was inspired by nature, not surprising considering he was a botanist, but strongly rejected outright copying, instead of arguing stylized approach “If plants are employed as ornaments they must not be treated imitatively, but must be conventionally treated, or rendered into ornaments – a monkey can imitate, man can create”. In contrast to those designs, he also made bold, bright colored creations full of virility. In addition to Dressler, important designers working in the medium will be John W. Wadsworth and
Léon-Victor Solon Léon-Victor Solon (17 April 1873 – 27 December 1957), son of ceramist Marc-Louis Solon, was an English painter, ceramist, and graphic artist. He was a purveyor of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles and an important Modern Style (British Art Nou ...
. In 1901, Wadsworth under the directorship of Solon will create a range called Secessionist Ware. Named after Vienna Secession that was very much in vogue post-1900, stylized floral designs and strong use of line will contribute significantly to the international movement. Even though Mackintosh did not create ceramics, his design influence that was both direct and indirect is hard to overstate. File:Vase_(England),_1880–82_(CH_18620861).jpg, Dresser 1880 File:Christopher_Dresser._Soup_Plate.jpg, Dresser 1886 File:U-shaped_vase_MET_DT5885.jpg, Dresser 1886-1889 File:Vase_MET_SF1995_413_(cropped).jpg, Clarissa Ault circa 1890 File:Tall_vase_MET_DP704404.jpg, Dresser 1892–1894 File:Box_(AM_1988.104-5)_(cropped).jpg, Secessionist 1906


Architectural ceramics

William James Neatby William James Neatby (24 May 1860 – 20 April 1910), often W. J. Neatby, was an English architect, designer and artist. He is best known for his designs of architectural ceramics and was Doulton and Co.'s chief ceramic designer. His standout wo ...
started his foray into the ceramics at Burmantofts Potteries working as the architectural ceramics designer, he was previously working as an architect. He spent 6 years working for the company, from 1894 to 1890, and was its leading designer during that period. Neatby worked closely with the architect and designed numerous interiors and exteriors for hotels, hospitals, banks, restaurants and houses. The architect would only give Neatby the rough outline and he was able to understand the spirit of the undertaking and pick it up from there. This was achieved not only thanks to his artistic sensibility, but also his training as an architect. He would move to London and work for Doulton and Co. in 1890 where he was in charge of Doulton's architectural department for the design and production of mural ceramic. He spent 11 years with the company, and it was during this period that he designed his most famous work, Meat Hall at Harrods, London. File:Royal_Observatory_Greenwich_-_Astronomy_Centre_-_sculpture_-_Astronomia_(8142755056).jpg, Astronomia sculpture with zodiac signs by Neatby at
Royal Observatory, Greenwich The Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG; known as the Old Royal Observatory from 1957 to 1998, when the working Royal Greenwich Observatory, RGO, temporarily moved south from Greenwich to Herstmonceux) is an observatory situated on a hill in ...
(1896). File:Watts_Cemetery_Chapel_-_Exterior_Frieze_-_geograph.org.uk_-_453930.jpg,
Watts Cemetery Chapel The Watts Cemetery Chapel or Watts Mortuary Chapel is a chapel in an Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) version of Celtic Revival in the village cemetery of Compton in Surrey. While the overall architectural structure is loosely Romanesqu ...
by
Mary Fraser Tytler Mary Seton Fraser Tytler (married name Mary Seton Watts) (1849–1938) was a symbolist craftswoman, designer and social reformer. Biography Watts, née Fraser-Tytler, was born on 25 November 1849, in India. She was the daughter of Charles Edward ...
(1898) File:London_-_Brompton_Road_-_Harrods_-_Meat,_Fish_&_Poultry_Department_II.jpg, Harrods Meat Hall 1902 by W. J. Neatby File:Westminster_OrchardHouse_terracotta.jpg, Orchard House by W. J. Neatby


Glass

From a legislative and political standpoint, a significant moment for glass in Britain was the abolition of an 1851 tax on windows according to their size, this in turn led to larger windows, and larger use of glass in architecture and house design in general. 19th century had important innovations when it comes to glass manufacturing. In the 1820s technique of molding, glass was discovered, and in the 1870s the blown glass. Besides technique, new types of glass were also being explored. One of these new types of glass was Clutha glass, trademarked by James Couper & Sons in 1888. This glass, unlike the previous type of glass, had air bubbes purposely left, as it imitated ancient Roman glass and was in vogue at the time. Clutha line was designed by Dresser from 1888 until 1896 and was retailed by the ever-present Liberty department store. Dresser focused on the form and practicality of his designs, he had a great understanding of manufacturing technique "Glass has a molten state in which it can be blown into the most beautiful of shapes. This process is the work of but a few seconds. If material is worked in its most simple and befitting manner, the results are more beautiful than those which are arrived at by any roundabout method of production"Clutha vase
The Met. Retrieved 4 December 2022
File:Clutha_vase_MET_DT6626.jpg, Dresser 1890 File:Clutha_vase_MET_SF1998_160.jpg, Dresser 1895 File:Christopher_Dresser_-_Vase_-_1991.103_-_Cleveland_Museum_of_Art.tif, Dresser 1895


Gallery

File:Hampstead_tube_station_040.jpg File:Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_-_Dining_Room_1901.jpg File:Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_-_Music_Room_1901.jpg File:Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_(Kelvingrove,_Glasgow)_(3838792219).jpg File:Chair_from_Inception.jpg File:Interior_door_stained_glass_Ruchill_Mackintosh_Church_Hall,_Glasgow.jpg File:Charles_rennie_macintosh,_poltroncina,_glasgow_1897.jpg File:Charles_rennie_macintosh,_tavolo,_glasgow_1902.jpg File:Siège_de_C.R._Mackintosh_(The_Lighthouse,_Glasgow)_(3802871315).jpg File:Mackintosh_furniture_-_geograph.org.uk_-_518160.jpg File:Mackintosh_Window_(304516308).jpg File:Charles_rennie_macintosh_per_w.j._bassett-lowke,_orologio_da_tavolo,_scozia_1917_ca.jpg File:Charles_rennie_mackintosh,_secrétaire,_glasgow_1903-04,_02.JPG File:National_Museum_of_Ethnology,_Osaka_-_Chair_"Ladder-back_chair"_-_Glasgow_in_United_Kingdom_-_Made_by_Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_in_2006_(originally_1903).jpg File:Armchair,_Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh,_made_by_Francis_Smith_%26_Son,_Glasgow,_1898-1899,_oak_-_Montreal_Museum_of_Fine_Arts_-_Montreal,_Canada_-_DSC09146.jpg File:Chaise_de_Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_(Musée_d%27Orsay)_(8982129778).jpg File:Charles_rennie_mackintosh,_tavolino,_glasgow_1903-04.JPG File:Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_-_Chair_-_1903.jpg File:HouseForAnArtLoverPiano.jpg File:Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_Cabinet_(8030216621).jpg File:Bedroom_furniture_by_Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh.jpg File:Arthur_heygate_mackmurdo,_tavolino,_1890_ca.jpg File:E._goodall_%26_co.,_arthur_heygate_mackmurdo,_sedia_dalla_sala_da_pranzo_di_pownall_hall,_cheshire,_manchester_1886_ca.JPG File:Arthur_heygate_mackmurdo_per_e._goodhall_e_co.,_poltrona,_con_tappezzeria_dis._da_herbert_p._horne_per_simpson_%26_godle,_1885_ca.jpg File:Mary_O%27Neill_by_Archibald_Knox.jpg File:Hall_Caine%27s_grave_inscription,_Maughold,_Isle_of_Man.JPG File:Covered_bowl_by_Charles_Robert_Ashbee,_Guild_of_Handicraft_London,_1900,_silver,_enamel,_mother-of-pearl_-_Hessisches_Landesmuseum_Darmstadt_-_Darmstadt,_Germany_-_DSC01079.jpg


References

{{Archhistory Art movements in Europe Art Nouveau Decorative arts