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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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in the mid-1880s. It is the first Art Nouveau 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 i ...
. 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 Charles Rennie Mackintosh (7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928) was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism. His work, alongside that of his wife Margaret Macdo ...
. He created one of the key motifs of the movement, now known as the 'Mackintosh rose' or 'Glasgow rose'. The
Glasgow School The Glasgow School was a circle of influential artists and designers that began to coalesce in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1870s, and flourished from the 1890s to around 1910. Representative groups included The Four (also known as the Spook 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 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 Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the ...
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 Ka ...
,
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,
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 Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (12 December 1851 – 15 March 1942) was a progressive England, English architect and designer, who influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement, notably through the Century Guild, Century Guild of Artists, which he set ...
,
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, 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 pol ...
. 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 Red House is a significant Arts and Crafts building located in Bexleyheath, south-east London, England. Co-designed in 1859 by the architect Philip Webb and the designer William Morris, it was created to serve as a family home for Morris. Const ...
(1860), architectural work by
Philip Webb Philip Speakman Webb (12 January 1831 – 17 April 1915) was a British architect and designer sometimes called the Father of Arts and Crafts Architecture. His use of vernacular architecture demonstrated his commitment to "the art of commo ...
with interiors done by William Morris is one of the early prototypes. Work of
Arthur Mackmurdo Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (12 December 1851 – 15 March 1942) was a progressive England, English architect and designer, who influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement, notably through the Century Guild, Century Guild of Artists, which he set ...
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 ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' is a collection of illustrated poems by William Blake. It appeared in two phases: a few first copies were printed and illuminated by Blake himself in 1789; five years later, he bound these poems with a ...
'' 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 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 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 Charles Rennie Mackintosh (7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928) was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism. His work, alongside that of his wife Margaret Macdo ...
and people closely associated with him also known as "The Four", and the
Glasgow School The Glasgow School was a circle of influential artists and designers that began to coalesce in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1870s, and flourished from the 1890s to around 1910. Representative groups included The Four (also known as the Spook 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 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) Liberty, commonly known as Liberty's, is a luxury department store in London, England. It is located on Great Marlborough Street in the West End of London. The building spans from Carnaby Street on the East to Kingly Street on the West, where ...
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 The Guild and School of Handicraft was established in 1888 in London, later moving to Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire, England, as a community of artists and craftspeople by the arts and crafts architect Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942). Ac ...
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 Austr ...
'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 Koloman Moser (; 30 March 1868 – 18 October 1918) was an Austrian artist who exerted considerable influence on twentieth-century graphic art. He was one of the foremost artists of the Vienna Secession movement and a co-founder of Wiener Werks ...
and
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 ...
, and inspire them to establish
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 b ...
. 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 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 Ka ...
(1874) cover for toybook File:Liberty department store London.jpg,
Liberty (department store) Liberty, commonly known as Liberty's, is a luxury department store in London, England. It is located on Great Marlborough Street in the West End of London. The building spans from Carnaby Street on the East to Kingly Street on the West, where ...
(1875) File:Wave_bowl_MET_LC-2001_549-001.jpg, ''Wave bowl'' by Christopher Dresser (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 Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (12 December 1851 – 15 March 1942) was a progressive England, English architect and designer, who influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement, notably through the Century Guild, Century Guild of Artists, which he set ...
for a book on Christopher Wren (1883) File:Chair LACMA M.2009.115 (5 of 5).jpg, ''Mahogany chair'' by
Arthur Mackmurdo Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (12 December 1851 – 15 March 1942) was a progressive England, English architect and designer, who influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement, notably through the Century Guild, Century Guild of Artists, which he set ...
(1883)


Painting

The decisive inlueces on the painting, and one of formative influences on the style in general will be Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. 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 sym ...
,
Aestheticism Aestheticism (also the Aesthetic movement) was an art movement in the late 19th century which privileged the aesthetic value of literature, music and the arts over their socio-political functions. According to Aestheticism, art should be pro ...
and Modern Style.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...
and
Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman ...
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, and sisters
Frances MacDonald Frances Macdonald MacNair (24 August 1873 – 12 December 1921) was a Scottish artist whose design work was a prominent feature of the Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) during the 1890s. Biography The sister of artist-designer M ...
and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. ''"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 Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the ...
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,
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 ...
, and artist that will form
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 b ...
. 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, the initial financer 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 b ...
, was building a new villa outside Vienna showcasing the work of many local architects.
Hoffmann Hoffmann is a German language, German surname. People A *Albert Hoffmann (horticulturist), Albert Hoffmann (1846–1924), German horticulturist *Alexander Hoffmann (politician), Alexander Hoffmann (born 1975), German politician *Arthur Hoffmann ...
and
Koloman Moser Koloman Moser (; 30 March 1868 – 18 October 1918) was an Austrian artist who exerted considerable influence on twentieth-century graphic art. He was one of the foremost artists of the Vienna Secession movement and a co-founder of Wiener Werks ...
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 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 (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 Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman ...
and
Aubrey Beardsley Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the ...
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 pol ...
, 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 Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the ...
(1872–1898). He began with engraved book illustrations for '' Le Morte d'Arthur'', then black and white illustrations for '' Salome'' by Oscar Wilde (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 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 Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Sco ...
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, an ...
almost all buildings he created are notable and important like Scotland Street School Museum,
Queen's Cross Church, Glasgow Queen's Cross Church is a former Church of Scotland parish church in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the only church designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh to have been built; hence, it is also known as The Mackintosh Church. History In 1896, the Fre ...
, Hill House, Helensburgh. 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. Recurring motif in his designs is what will become known as the ''Mackintosh Rose'' or ''Glasgow Rose''. Another important architect was George Skipper, 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 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) James Salmon (13 April 1873 – 27 April 1924) was a Scotland, Scottish architect, who practiced mainly in Glasgow. With his partner John Gaff Gillespie developed an attenuated high-rise style for the office buildings of the Fin de siècle, fin d ...
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 Leslie William Green (6 February 1875 – 31 August 1908) was an English architect. He is best known for his design of iconic stations constructed on the London Underground railway system in central London during the first decade of the 20t ...
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 counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...
stations in his hometown. His use of oxblood
glazed architectural terra-cotta Glazed architectural terra cotta is a ceramic masonry building material used as a decorative skin. It was popular in the United States from the late 19th century until the 1930s, and is still one of the most common building materials found i ...
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 ...
terra-cotta. File:Bishopsgate Institute, Bishopsgate, EC2.jpg,
Bishopsgate Institute Bishopsgate Institute is a cultural institute in the Bishopsgate Without area of the City of London, located near Liverpool Street station and Spitalfields market. The institute was established in 1895. It offers a cultural events programme, c ...
by Townsend (1892–94) File:Fox_and_Anchor,_Farringdon,_EC1_(2486430867).jpg, The Fox and Anchor by Latham Withall (1898) File:New_Palace_Theatre_Plymouth.jpg, The Palace Theatre 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 The Turkey Cafe is a building with a flamboyant Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) facade in Granby Street, Leicester, England. It was built in 1900 and is now a Grade II listed building, once again used as a café. The facade puns on two ...
by Arthur Wakerley (1900) File:Horniman Museum.jpg, The
Horniman Museum The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a museum in Forest Hill, London, England. Commissioned in 1898, it opened in 1901 and was designed by Charles Harrison Townsend in the Modern Style. It has displays of anthropology, natural history and musical ...
by Townsend (1898–1901) File:Drawing for 'Windy Hill'.jpg, Windy Hill, Kilmacolm by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1901) File:The Willow Tearooms Glasgow.jpg, The Willow Tearooms 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 bui ...
by George Pennington (1904) File:Christchurch Methodists - geograph.org.uk - 953150.jpg, Christ Church Methodist Church by Arthur Brewill and Basil Baily (1903-1904) File:Russell_Square_tube_station,_September_2016_07.jpg, The
Russell Square tube station Russell Square is a London Underground station opposite Russell Square on Bernard Street, Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. The station is on the Piccadilly line, between Holborn and King's Cross St Pancras and is in Travelcard Z ...
by Green (1906) File:Flickr_-_Duncan~_-_Strand_Station.jpg, The disused
Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...
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 Michelin House at 81 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London, was constructed as the first permanent UK headquarters and tyre depot for the Michelin Tyre Company Ltd. The building opened for business on 20 January 1911. In 1987 the building was converted t ...
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
pewter Pewter () is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85–99%), antimony (approximately 5–10%), copper (2%), bismuth, and sometimes silver. Copper and antimony (and in antiquity lead) act as hardeners, but lead may be used in lower grades ...
ware 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 The Guild and School of Handicraft was established in 1888 in London, later moving to Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire, England, as a community of artists and craftspeople by the arts and crafts architect Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942). Ac ...
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,
Mintons Mintons was a major company in Staffordshire pottery, "Europe's leading ceramic factory during the Victorian era", an independent business from 1793 to 1968. It was a leader in ceramic design, working in a number of different ceramic bodies, ...
,
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, Watcombe, Linthorpe, Old Hall at Hanley and
Ault Ault may refer to: People *Chris Ault, head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack football team *Dick Ault, American athlete *John Ault, writer, academic, politician *Doug Ault, Major League Baseball player *E.B. "Harry" Ault, American labor union newspa ...
. 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 (1896). File:Watts_Cemetery_Chapel_-_Exterior_Frieze_-_geograph.org.uk_-_453930.jpg, Watts Cemetery Chapel by Mary Fraser Tytler (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