The Art Nouveau movement of architecture and design flourished in Paris from about 1895 to 1914, reaching its high point at the 1900 Paris International Exposition. with the Art Nouveau metro stations designed by Hector Guimard. It was characterized by a rejection of historicism and traditional architectural forms, and a flamboyant use of floral and vegetal designs, sinuous curving lines such as the whiplash line, and asymmetry. It was most prominent in architecture, appearing in department stores, apartment buildings, and churches; and in the decorative arts, particularly glassware, furniture, and jewelry. Besides Guimard, major artists included

René Lalique René Jules Lalique (6 April 1860 – 1 May 1945) was a French jeweller, medallist, and glass designer known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks, and automobile hood ornaments. Life Lalique' ...

in glassware,

Louis Majorelle Louis-Jean-Sylvestre Majorelle, usually known simply as Louis Majorelle, (26 September 1859 – 15 January 1926) was a French decorator and furniture designer who manufactured his own designs, in the French tradition of the ''ébéniste''. ...

in furniture, and

Alphonse Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist, living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, best known for his distinctly stylized and decorat ...

in graphic arts, It spread quickly to other countries, but lost favor after 1910 and came to an end with the First World War.

History

The Maison de l'Art Nouveau (1895)

Art Nouveau had first appeared in Brussels, in houses completed in 1893 by

Victor Horta Victor Pierre Horta (; Victor, Baron Horta after 1932; 6 January 1861 – 8 September 1947) was a Belgian architect and designer, and one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. His Hôtel Tassel in Brussels, built in 1892–93, is often ...

Paul Hankar Paul Hankar (11 December 1859 – 17 January 1901) was a Belgian architect and furniture designer, and an innovator in the Art Nouveau style. Career Hankar was born at Frameries, in Hainaut, Belgium, the son of a stonemason. He studied at th ...

, and

Henry van de Velde Henry Clemens van de Velde (; 3 April 1863 – 15 October 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium ...

, but it quickly appeared in other forms in Paris. It was introduced by the Franco-German art dealer and publisher

Siegfried Bing Samuel Siegfried Bing (26 February 1838 – 6 September 1905), who usually gave his name as S. Bing (not to be confused with his brother, Samuel Otto Bing, 1850–1905), was a German-French art dealer who lived in Paris as an adult, and who ...

, who wished to break down the barriers between traditional museum art and decorative art. In 1891, he had founded a magazine devoted to the art of Japan, which helped publicize

Japonism ''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. Japo ...

in Europe. In 1892, he organized an exhibit of seven artists, among them Pierre Bonnard,

Félix Vallotton Félix Édouard Vallotton (; December 28, 1865December 29, 1925) was a Swiss and French painter and printmaker associated with the group of artists known as . He was an important figure in the development of the modern woodcut. He painted portra ...

Édouard Vuillard Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, he was a prominent member of the Nabis, making paintings which assembled areas of pure color, and interior sc ...

Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the l ...

and

Eugène Grasset Eugène Samuel Grasset (25 May 1845 – 23 October 1917) was a Swiss decorative artist who worked in Paris, France in a variety of creative design fields during the Belle Époque. He is considered a pioneer in Art Nouveau design. Biography G ...

which included both more traditional gallery paintings and paintings designed especially for decoration. The Swiss–French artist Grasset was already making early posters in the Art Nouveau style in 1893. In 1895, Bing opened a new gallery at 22 rue de Provence in Paris, the

Maison de l'Art Nouveau The Maison de l'Art Nouveau ("House of New Art"), abbreviated often as L'Art Nouveau, and known also as Maison Bing for the owner, was a gallery opened on 26 December 1895, by Siegfried Bing at 22 rue de Provence, Paris.Martin Eidelberg and Suzan ...

, devoted to works in both the fine and decorative arts. The interior and furniture of the gallery were designed by the Belgian architect

. The ''Maison de l'Art Nouveau'' showed paintings by

Georges Seurat Georges Pierre Seurat ( , , ; 2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891) was a French post-Impressionist artist. He devised the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism and used conté crayon for drawings on paper with a rough su ...

Paul Signac Paul Victor Jules Signac ( , ; 11 November 1863 – 15 August 1935) was a French Neo-Impressionist painter who, working with Georges Seurat, helped develop the Pointillist style. Biography Paul Signac was born in Paris on 11 November 1863. ...

and

, glass from

Louis Comfort Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art NouveauL ...

and

Émile Gallé Émile Gallé (8 May 1846 in Nancy – 23 September 1904 in Nancy) was a French artist and designer who worked in glass, and is considered to be one of the major innovators in the French Art Nouveau movement. He was noted for his designs of ...

, jewelry by

, and posters by

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 ...

. Bing wrote in 1902, "Art Nouveau, at the time of its creation, did not aspire in any way to have the honor of becoming a generic term. It was simply the name of a house opened as a rallying point for all the young and ardent artists impatient to show the modernity of their tendencies." File:Eugene Grasset, poster for Grafton Galleries, 1893.jpg, Poster by

for Grafton Galleries (1893) File:Hôtel Bing en 1895.jpg,

(1895) at 22 Rue de Provence, 9th arrondissement (1895) File:Galeries Bing entrée rue de Provence.jpg, The Maison de l'Art Nouveau gallery of Siegfried Bing File:Vallotton pour Bing.jpg, Poster by

for the new Maison de l'Art Nouveau (1896)

A change in the municipal laws and the Facade competition (1898–1902)

One great limitation on the architecture of Paris at the end of the 19th century was a law, dating to the 1607 but still in effect in 1900, limitling the height and ornament on the facades and forbidding any elements of architecture that protruded over the sidewalk below. This was done to allow greater light to the narrow streets and to prevent pieces of masonry falling on the street below. Exceptions were often made, but the law greatly limited the freedom of architects. In 1902 the director of public works of Paris, Louis Bonnier, announced a reform of the law, which followed the model of other European cities. The new rules, put into effect in 1902, used proportionality as the standard; the wider the street, the higher the buildings could be, and the more variety of architecture and ornament the architects could use on the facade. Even before that, to encourage greater creativity, the City of Paris decided to hold a competition for the six most original facades. beginning with buildings completed in 1898. One of the winners in 1898 was Hector Guimard's

Castel Béranger The Castel Béranger is a residential building with thirty-six apartments located at 14 rue de la Fontaine in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It was designed by the architect Hector Guimard, and built between 1895 and 1898. It was the first re ...

, the first Art Nouveau residence in Paris.

The Paris Universal Exposition (1900)

The Paris Universal Exposition of 1900 marked the summit of Art Nouveau in Paris, bringing together many of the artists and designers who pioneered the style, and making the style known to the forty-eight million visitors to the Exposition. Art Nouveau architecture was highlighted in the interiors of the two major pavilions of fine arts, the Grand Palais and the

Petit Palais The Petit Palais (; en, Small Palace) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...

. It was also prominent in the Palace of Decorative Arts, where works of

and

, Daum, and other French designers were displayed. The

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

, completed shortly after the Exposition opened, featured the Art Nouveau edicules designed for the stations by Hector Guimard.

Architecture

Hector Guimard's residential buildings

The residential architecture of Art Nouveau or ''Modern Style'', as it was also known, was a reaction against the electric and historical styles that dominated Paris in the Belle Époque. A majority of the buildings in the new style were constructed in the wealthy 16th arrondissement. The first was the

(1895–98) by Hector Guimard, built shortly after he visited Brussels, met

and toured the

Hôtel Tassel The Hôtel Tassel (french: Hôtel Tassel, nl, Hotel Tassel) is a town house in Brussels, Belgium, designed by Victor Horta for the scientist and professor Emile Tassel, and built from 1892 to 1893. It is generally considered the first true Ar ...

, the town house completed by

in 1893, and which had a major impact on his style. Many of the details of the Castel Béranger were

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

in inspiration, including the

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

windows and rain gutters. It was assembled with a multitude of materials and colors, including stone, brick and iron, and with a boldness of imagination, including curling vegetal and floral designs in wrought iron decoration around the doors and windows. The building won the competition for the best facade in Paris in 1898, and, along with his own astute marketing, launched Guimard's career. He became the most famous of Art Nouveau architects. Late in the period, between 1909 and 1912, Guimard designed a residence and studio for himself, as well as a painting studio for his wife. the

Hôtel Guimard The Hôtel Guimard was a private home located at 9 rue de la Chaussée-d'Antin in Paris, France. Commissioned by the Opera dancer Marie-Madeleine Guimard, it was designed by the architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux in the neoclassical style, then bu ...

at 122 Avenue Mozart (16th arrondissement). This building represented his less exuberant and more refined later style, as did the Hôtel Mezzara (1910), (60, rue de La Fontaine, (16th). Other notable Guimard buildings in Paris include the early Hôtel Delfau (1895), at Rue Molitor (16th), and the later Hôtel Jassédé (1903–1905) at 142 Avenue de Versailles (16th), notable for its striking asymmetric angle on the corner. The Hôtel Mezzara, (1910) at 60 rue de La Fontaine ((16th) was more classical in style, but also had an interesting asymmetric wing and his characteristic curves, arches, and floral wrought iron designs. He also designed an Art Nouveau synagogue in 1913 (see religious buildings). He designed a number of other buildings just before and after World War I which were not in the Art Nouveau style. File:Paris - Castel Béranger (30001340981).jpg, Hector Guimard, Facade of the

(1895–98) at 14 Rue de La Fontaine (16th Arr.) File:Castel Béranger, February 16, 2013.jpg, Entrance of the

(1895–98) File:Paris 16 - Hôtel Guimard -1.JPG, The

(1909–1912) File:Photograph, Dining Room, Hôtel Guimard, Rue Mozart, Paris, ca. 1910 (CH 18411061).jpg, Dining room of the

(about 1910) File:Paris 16 - Immeuble Jassédé 142 avenue de Versailles -1.JPG, Hector Guimard, Asymmetric corner of the Jassédé building (1903–1905) File:Paris - 60 Rue Fontaine -1.JPG, Hector Guimard, Hôtel Mezzara, 60 rue de La Fontaine ((16th)

Guimard's Métro stations

Between 1896 and 1904, Hector Guimard designed the Paris Métro station entrances, using the sinuous floral and vegetal designs that became an emblem of the style. They were prefabricated for easier installation, and one hundred and forty coverings were put into place. Most were installed in 1900. Nearly all were removed a few years later, but many were recreated in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Only two of the original edicules from 1900 are still in use; one is Abbesses (Paris Métro) station. It was originally at

Hôtel de Ville (Paris Métro) Hôtel de Ville (, literally "City Hall") is a rapid transit station on lines 1 and 11 of the Paris Métro. It is named after the nearby Hôtel de Ville de Paris (City Hall) and is located within the fourth arrondissement of Paris. History Hô ...

but was moved to its present location in the 1970s. The other is at

Porte Dauphine (Paris Métro) Porte Dauphine () is the western terminus of Line 2 of the Paris Métro. It is situated in the 16th arrondissement. Avenue Foch station, served by the RER C line, is located nearby, as is Paris Dauphine University. Location The station is estab ...

. It is the only edicule still in use and still at its original location. File:Abbesses entrance 2.jpg, Original Edicule of Abbesses (Paris Métro) Station (1900) File:Paris Metro 2 Porte Dauphine Libellule.JPG, Original Edicule at

(1900)

Jules Lavirotte and Alfred Wagon – the Ceramic facade (1901)

Next to Hector Guimard, the Paris architect most closely associated with Art Nouveau was Jules Lavirotte. He is best known for a group of several buildings in the 7th arrondissement, particularly the Lavirotte Building at 29 Avenue Rapp (7th arrondissement), completed in 1901, and a winner of the Paris facade competition in that same year. The particular feature of the building is the lavish ceramic sculptural ornament on the facade, which was intended as an advertisement for the Paris ceramics firm of Alexandre Bigot. Lavirotte made another extravagant facade in the same neighborhood, at 3 Square Rapp (7th arr.) and another, the so-called ''Ceramic Hotel'' on the other side of the Seine, at 34 Avenue de Wagram (8th around.) (1905) This building was a facade competition winner in 1905. The exuberant style of Lavirotte was pushed even further by architect Alfred Wagon, who is best known for the building at 24 Place Étienne Pernet (15th arrondissement), made for a building contractor named Duroc, and covered with sculpted vegetation. It is considered one of the most extravagant examples of Art Nouveau in Paris. File:Immeuble art nouveau de Jules Lavirotte à Paris (5519755116).jpg, Lavirotte Building at 29 Avenue Rapp, 7th arrondissement (1901) File:XDSC 7288-29-av-Rapp-paris-7.jpg, Entrance of the Lavirotte Building with ceramic sculpture (1901) File:Hôtel Céramic, art nouveau (Paris) (5072808987).jpg, Upper facade of the Ceramic Hotel (1904) File:Immeuble art nouveau de Jules Lavirotte (5507694396).jpg, Facade of 3 Square rapp (1899–1900) File:Porte dentrée art nouveau (Jules Lavirotte) (5507693170).jpg, Entrance of 3 Square Rapp (1899–1900) (7th Arr.) File:Immeuble 3 square Rapp Paris 7e.jpg, Detail of 3 Square Rapp (1899–1900) File:Immeuble rue de l'église détail 1.jpg, Alfred Wagon building at 24 Place Étienne Pernet, (15th arrond.) (1905) File:Immeuble rue de l'église détail 2.jpg, Looking upwards at the Alfred Wagon building, 24 Place Etienne Pernet (1905)

Office buildings

The architect

Frantz Jourdain Frantz Jourdain (3 October 1847 – 22 August 1935) was a Belgian architect and author. He is best known for La Samaritaine, an Art Nouveau department store built in the 1st arrondissement of Paris in three stages between 1904 and 1928. He was re ...

was best known for the

La Samaritaine La Samaritaine (French pronunciation: a samaʁitɛn is a large department store in Paris, France, located in the first arrondissement. The nearest métro station is Pont-Neuf, directly in front at the quai du Louvre and the rue de la Monnaie ...

Department store, but also designed office buildings in the later, more moderate Art Nouveau style. It was often blended with neo-classicism and other Belle-Epoque styles. It was used by companies which wanted to show they were modern, but would not take any risks. One example is the La Semeuse Building (1912),

for the offices of La Semeuse de Paris, the financial institution that provided credit to the La Samritaine department store. Much of the building has been modernized, but the entrance features an Art Nouveau door and ironwork and stained glass windows by the architect's son. File:Immeuble Semeuse de Paris.jpg, La Semeuse de Paris building, by

(1912)14–16, rue du Louvre in the 1st arrondissement. , File:Siège de la Semeuse de Paris, porte d'entrée.jpg, Entrance of La Semeuse de Paris, by

(1912) File:Paris La Semeuse 745.JPG, Window of La Semeuse de Paris by Francis Jourdain, son of the architect (1912) File:Socgen Agence Centrale 01.jpg, Cupola of the headquarters of

Société Générale Société Générale S.A. (), colloquially known in English as SocGen (), is a French-based multinational financial services company founded in 1864, registered in downtown Paris and headquartered nearby in La Défense. Société Générale ...

at 29 boulevard Haussmann, by

Jacques Hermant __NOTOC__ Jacques-René Hermant (7 May 1855 in Paris, France – 5 June 1930 in France) was a French architect, one of the most renowned architects of fin-de-siècle Paris. Born in Paris, the son of the architect Achille Hermant (1823-1903) ...

(1905–1911)

Department stores and shops

The Paris department stores were early showcases of the Art Nouveau style, particularly in their interior galleries. Since gas lighting risked fires, and the reliable tungsten filament for electric light bulbs was not available before 1902, The buildings ere illuminated by large glass skylights over circular courtyards, ringed by galleries open to the courtyard. The most famous example is the

Galeries Lafayette The Galeries Lafayette () is an upmarket French department store chain, the biggest in Europe. Its flagship store is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris but it now operates in a number of other locations in France and oth ...

department store on

Boulevard Haussmann Boulevard Haussmann, long from the 8th to the 9th arrondissement, is one of the wide tree-lined boulevards created in Paris by Napoleon III, under the direction of his Prefect of the Seine, Baron Haussmann. The Boulevard Haussmann is mostly ...

, built by architect Georges Chedanne and his pupil Ferdinand Chanut. The building was begun in 1895, and the central dome and Art Nouveau staircases accessing it we're completed in 1912. Two later interior courtyards were destroyed in earlier remodeling, but the central courtyard, with its colorful glass cupola, has been restored, along with the Art Nouveau stairways. The department store

at 13 rue de la Monnaie (1st arr.) on the right bank of the Seine, was designed

and opened in 1905. It had a stylized Art Nouveau exterior and glass-covered interior court. A second building in

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

style by

Henri Sauvage Henri Sauvage (May 10, 1873 in Rouen – March 21, 1932 in Paris) was a French architect and designer in the early 20th century. He was one of the most important architects in the French Art nouveau movement, Art Deco, and the beginning of ar ...

was added in 1926. The original building was entirely remodeled in 2018, while preserving the Art Nouveau facades and some of the elements of the interior. The style was also used in a number of smaller Paris shops, though few survive in their original form. One shop, the jewelry shop of designer Georges Fouquet, with an interior by graphic artist

, is now found in the Carnavalet Museum of the history of Paris. File:Cupola of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann Paris 001.jpg, Detail of the cupola of

Department store (1912) File:La Samartaine facade.jpg, Art Nouveau facade of first

department store by

(1905). File:MuchaFouquet3.jpg, The jewellery shop of Georges Fouquet at 6 Rue Royale designed by

, now in the Carnavalet Museum (1901)

Churches

Several churches were built in Paris which incorporated Art Nouveau features, usually combined with other styles, including neo-Gothic. The most notable example of Art Nouveau-Gothic is the

Église Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre Saint-Jean de Montmartre () is a Roman Catholic parish church located at 19 Rue des Abbesses in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Situated at the foot of Montmartre, it is notable as the first example of reinforced concrete in church constructio ...

(1894). The architect was

Anatole de Baudot Joseph-Eugène-Anatole de Baudot (14 October 1834 – 28 February 1915) was a French architect and a pioneer of reinforced-concrete construction. He was a prolific author, architect for diocesan buildings, architect for historical monuments, a ...

, a follower of Viollet-le-Duc, a professor of French architecture at the School of Chaillot, which trained experts in historical restoration, and professor of medieval architecture at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

. Following the ideas of Viollet-le-Duc, he used modern materials, including an iron frame interior, combined with sculpture by

Pierre Roche Pierre Roche (Paris, 2 August 1855 – Paris, 18 January 1922), pseudonym of Pierre Henry Ferdinand Massignon, was a French sculptor, painter, ceramist and medallist. He was the father to Louis Massignon. Roche first studied medicine and chem ...

and ceramic tiles by Alexandre Bigot, who tiles were used in the facades of many Art Nouveau buildings. The open interior with its iron columns and arches was a strikingly modern. File:St Jean de Montmartre.jpg,

(1894) File:Eglise Saint-Jean de Montmartre @ Montmartre @ Paris 18 (32949114806).jpg, Interior of the

(1894) File:Eglise Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre - Grés du portail.JPG, Detail of ceramic decoration and sculpture of the portal.

Furniture – Hector Guimard and the Nancy School

Furniture was another important domain of the Art Nouveau. In some cases the architects themselves designed the furniture to match the exterior and interior decoration of the house, based on sinuous and curving lines and other forms based upon nature. This was the case of the

, the residence of Hector Guimard. The objective of both architects and furniture designers was to create a style which was different from the predominant neoclassical and Beaux-Arts styles which were dominant before Art Nouveau. Sometimes the Art Nouveau furniture and other decorative objects resembled the

Rocaille Rocaille ( , ) was a French style of exuberant decoration, with an abundance of curves, counter-curves, undulations and elements modeled on nature, that appeared in furniture and interior decoration during the early reign of Louis XV of France. ...

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

style of the reign of Louis XV, with its curving floral and vegetal designs, particularly in table legs, drawer handles and other ornament. The weakness of the Art Nouveau furniture style was that, since the furniture matched the decoration and architecture of the room, the furniture could not be changed or added to without disrupting the harmony of the room. This was one reason why the popularity of Art Nouveau decoration was short-lived.

was another major figure in Art Nouveau furniture design. His house and workshops were in Nancy in

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

, but he also had a large residence and showroom in Paris, and he was a leading participant in all of the major expositions and salons of the period. Majorelle's furniture pieces were hand-made individually, rarely in a series, and used expensive and exotic materials. The Cabinet by Louis Majorelle illustrated in the gallery below, from about 1900–1910, (now in the

Dallas Museum of Art The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is an art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In the 1970s, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Art ...

) is crafted of mahogany, oak and walnut, with inlays of exotic hardwoods. combined with handles and other decoration of bronze.

Eugène Vallin Eugène Vallin (1856 – 21 July 1922) was a French furniture designer and manufacturer, as well as an architect. Life and career Vallin was born at Herbéviller, and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy. He was apprenticed in the stu ...

was another important figure in Art Nouveau furniture. Like Majorelle, his workshop was in Nancy, and he and Majorelle were founders of the

École de Nancy École de Nancy, or the Nancy School, was a group of Art Nouveau artisans and designers working in Nancy, France between 1890 and 1914. Major figures included the furniture designer Louis Majorelle, ebonist and glass artist Jacques Grüber, t ...

, a group of artisans who created the distinctive Nancy style of art Nouveau, which became popular in Paris. In the second part of the Art Nouveau period, from 1900 until 1914, Majorelle and most of the members of the Nancy School modified the Art Nouveau style, making it less ornate, with cleaner lines and simpler forms, File:Side Chair, 1900, Hector Guimard.jpg, Side chair by Hector Guimard (1900) ( Art Institute of Chicago) File:Hector Guimard (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon) (11251879956).jpg, Bedroom furniture of the

by Hector Guimard (now in the

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (french: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon) is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Lyon. Located near the Place des Terreaux, it is housed in a former Benedictine convent which was active during the 1 ...

) File:Guimard-ChaiseLongue.jpg, Chaise Lonngue by Hector Guimard in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (c. 1903) File:Majorelle-Desk.jpg, Desk by

(1903–04), at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris. File:Majorelle Bed.jpg, The "Water Lily" bed by

(1902–1903), Musée d'Orsay, Paris. File:Détail du lit "Nénuphars" de Louis Majorelle (musée dOrsay) (3338737145).jpg, Detail of the "Water Lily" bed by Louis Majorelle File:Cabinet by Louis Majorelle, c. 1900-1910, mahogany, oak, walnut, exotic hardwoods, bronze, with vases by Louis Comfort Tiffany, 1893-1920, favrile glass - Dallas Museum of Art - DSC05268.jpg, Cabinet by Louis Majorelle, with glass vases by

(1900–1910), (

) File:Meuble dEmile Gallé (musée des arts décoratifs) (4734600691).jpg, cabinet of ash wood, oak and poplar, with marquetry of colored woods and sculpted bronze, by

presented at the 1900 Paris Exposition (1900), (Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris)

Glassware

Much of the Art Nouveau glassware in Paris came from the city of Nancy, in

, in eastern France. That city was the home of the workshops of

and of the Daum Studio, and had a large number of skilled craftsmen. Daum specialized in

lead glass Lead glass, commonly called crystal, is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead glass contains typically 18–40% (by weight) lead(II) oxide (PbO), while modern lead crystal, historically al ...

or crystal, which it made by a traditional

Glass casting Glass casting is the process in which glass objects are cast by directing molten glass into a mould where it solidifies. The technique has been used since the 15th century BCE in both Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Modern cast glass is formed by ...

process. Art Nouveau glassware preceded Art Nouveau in other media; floral vases and cups by the Daum Studio were displayed as early as the

1889 Paris Exposition The Exposition Universelle of 1889 () was a world's fair held in Paris, French Third Republic, France, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two ...

. The glassware from Nancy was one of the major features at the 1900 Paris Exposition. It predominantly featured the same motifs as the furniture and other media; flowing lines and floral designs, with rich colors. The Daum process often involved modeling the glass while it was hot, and adding polychrome powdered enamels which vitrified on the surface. The handle was molded and added while it was hot. File:Coupe art nouveau (Musée des arts décoratifs) (4714119631).jpg, Cup from the Daum Studio (1889), Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris File:Vase coloquinte (musée des arts décoratifs) (4779955370).jpg, Crystal vase from Daum Studio made of blown glass with polcrhome enamels added while it was hot. (1910) File:Emile Galle-Vase mg 1814.jpg, Engraved crystal vase by Gallé, circa 1900 File:Vase Marguerite Gallé Petit Palais OGAL00553 n1.jpg, Gallé vase with

lilies ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...

and daises File:Gallé, nancy, vaso clematis, 1890-1900.JPG, Cameo glass vase by Gallé

Ceramic art

Ceramic sculpture and objects were an important component of Paris Art Nouveau. Ceramic tiles and decoration were featured on the facades of buildings, and appeared as works of sculpture. A major ceramics workshop had been founded in Paris by the Alsacian

Théodore Deck Joseph-Théodore Deck (2 January 1823 – 15 May 1891) was a 19th-century French potter, an important figure in late 19th-century art pottery. Born in Guebwiller, Haut-Rhin, he began learning the trade in his early 20s, moving to Paris at age 24. ...

in the 1870s. He began to create works based on floral patterns and Japanese designs and techniques. Technical developments advanced under his pupil,

Edmond Lachenal Edmond Lachenal (3 June 1855 – 10 June 1948) was a French potter. He was a key figure in the French art pottery movement,Sullivan, Elizabeth, "French Art Pottery", In ''Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History'', The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014onl ...

, who used bright polychrome glazes. Other important figures in ceramic arts included Auguste Delaherche, Clément Massier, and Jean Carriès. The ceramics manufacturer Alexandre Bigot was a major figure in Paris ceramics. His pavilion at the Exposition Universelle (1900) was entirely covered in ceramic sculpture on classical and Art Nouveau themes, including bicycles. The Pavilion was demolished at the end of the Exposition, but many of the decorations were preserved. His ceramics also lavishly covered the facades of the Paris houses designed by Jules Lavirotte. File:The Bigot-pavilion at the Paris Universal Exposition, 1900.jpg, Bigot Pavilion at the Exposition Universelle (1900) in Paris File:Bigot - Pierre Roche - Cyclists, Frieze.jpg, Ceramic tiles from the Bigot Pavilion at the Exposition Universelle (1900) File:Edmond lachenal ed émile decoeur, vaso, chatillon-sur-bagneux, 1902 ca..JPG, Ceramic vase by

(1902) File:Auguste delaherche, piatto con occhi di pavone, parigi 1887-1894 ca..JPG, Peacock plate by Auguste Delaherche (1887–94)

Metalwork and sculpture

Decorative ironwork and metal sculpture were important elements of Art Nouveau, used in the decoration of facades, in small statues and in the handles and other ornament on furniture. One of the most versatile artists was the painter and bronze sculptor

Georges de Feure Georges de Feure (real name Georges Joseph van Sluijters, 6 September 1868 – 26 November 1943) was a French painter, theatrical designer, and industrial art designer in the symbolism and Art Nouveau styles. De Feure was born in Paris. His f ...

. Born in Belgium, he moved to Paris, and became a lead designer for Art Nouveau gallery owner

. Besides metal work, He designed furniture, wrote for newspapers, and created stage sets and posters for the

Le Chat Noir Le Chat Noir (; French for "The Black Cat") was a nineteenth-century entertainment establishment, in the bohemian Montmartre district of Paris. It was opened on 18 November 1881 at 84 Boulevard de Rochechouart by the impresario Rodolphe Salis, ...

cabaret. His work was featured at the Exposition Universelle de Paris, and in 1901 he was named a

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

for his contribution to the decorative arts. Examples of his work can be found at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. File:Ironworks gate Petit Palais.jpg, Ironwork gate of the

, Paris by

Charles Girault Charles-Louis Girault (27 December 1851 – 26 December 1932) was a French architect. Biography Born in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, he studied with Honoré Daumet at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He received the first Pr ...

(1900) File:Paris 16 - Castel Béranger -10.JPG, Balcony decoration of Castel Béranger by Hector Guimard (1903) File:Copper floor vase by Georges de Feur and Jakab Rappaport, 1902. - Budapest Museum of Applied Arts.JPG, Enameled copper floor vase by

and Jakab Rappaport (1902) (Budapest Museum of Applied Arts) File:Femme jouant du violon (musée des arts décoratifs) (3698441571).jpg, ''Woman playing a violin'', bronze by

(1868–1943).( Musée des Arts Décoratifs) File:Mantel clock by Louis Chalon, E. Colin & Cie., Paris, c. 1900, gilt and silvered bronze, view 2 - Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt - Darmstadt, Germany - DSC00955.jpg, Mantel clock by Louis Chalon and E. Colin, gilded and silvered bronze (c. 1900), (Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt - Darmstadt, Germany) File:Tischlampe Schleiertänzerin BNM.jpg, Table Lamp by François-Raoul Larche in gilt bronze, with the dancer

Loïe Fuller Loie Fuller (born Marie Louise Fuller; January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928), also known as Louie Fuller and Loïe Fuller, was an American actress and dancer who was a pioneer of both modern dance and theatrical lighting techniques. Career Bor ...

as model (1901)

Jewelry

Art Nouveau jewelry, modelled after natural and floral forms, was particularly popular. One classic example is the Cascade Pendant designed by

Alfons Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist, living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, best known for his distinctly stylized and decora ...

and made by Fouquet, now on display at the

. It represents a cascade of opals, diamonds and slightly misshapen, or "Barocco", pearls, along with gold and enamel. He used opals because of their delicate pale color and misshapen pearls to offer unusual but more natural forms. He also employed circles of tiny diamonds around larger stones to frame and highlight them. The interior of his jewelry shop, designed by Mucha, is now on display at the Carnavalet Museum.Text on Art Nouveau jewelry display at Petit Palais, Paris The Fouquet firm, headed by Georges Fouquet, and its jewelers borrowed from many different periods and styles. Most subjects for jewelers were taken from the natural world, including peacocks, butterflies and dragonflies, and flowers. Others were drawn from mythology, or figures of mermaids, themes, butterflies, and mermaids, they also sometimes drew inspiration from the art of Ancient Egypt, China and Japan.Fahr-Becker, Gabriel (2015), ''L'Art Nouveau'', pp. 87–89 One distinctive feature of Art Nouveau jewelry was that the value of the piece did not depend primarily upon the value of the precious jewels or gold used, as in traditional jewelry. Many of the materials used were semiprecious and oddly-shaped stones and pearls. The value was determined by the imagination and the reputation of the designer. Mucha and other Art Nouveau illustrators often collaborated with jewelers,

, best known for his theatrical posters and magazine illustrations, made designs for objects ranging from combs to belt buckles created by Paris jewelers.

, best known for glass art, was also a major figure in Paris Art Nouveau jewelry design. Like Fouquet, he combined more traditional materials, such as diamonds and emeralds, with semi-precious stones, amber, ivory, pearls, enamels, horn and other natural materials to create original and imaginative forms. He also used

cabochons A cabochon (; ) is a gemstone that has been shaped and polished, as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex (rounded) obverse with a flat reverse. Cabochon was the default method of preparing gemstones before gemstone cutti ...

, which were convex, polished gemstones, rounded rather than faceted. He particularly created diadems and pendants in the form os plants, insects, and mythical figures.

Louis Aucoc Louis Aucoc (21 September 1850 Paris – 10 December 1932 Paris), was a leading Parisian art nouveau jeweller and goldsmith, working with his father and brother André. Biography The Aucoc family firm at 6 Rue de la Paix was established in Paris i ...

and his family firm, where Lalique had been an apprentice, was another important creator of Art Nouveau jewelry. Other notable jewelry creators included Lucien Gaillard,

Paul Follot Paul Follot (17 July 1877 – 1941) was a French designer of luxury furniture and decorative art objects before World War I. He was one of the leaders of the Art Deco movement, and had huge influence in France and elsewhere.After the war he became ...

, and Paul and Henri Vever. File:49 mucha documentsdecoratifs 1901.jpg, Jewelry designs for Fouquet jewellers by

(1901) File:Cascade pendant by Alfons Mucha 1900.jpg, Cascade pendant designed by

for Fouquet jewelers, (1900). (Petit Palais museum, Paris) File:René lalique, pettine in corno, oro, smalti e brillanti, 1902 ca.JPG, Comb of horn, gold, and diamonds by

(c. 1902) ( Musée d'Orsay) File:Pendant MET DT6688.jpg, Lalique peacock pendant, of gold, enamel, opal, pearl, and diamonds (Metropolitan Museum) (1900–1903) File:Eugène Grasset, spilla 'Apparitions', oro, smalti, avorio, topazi cabochons, 1900 ca.JPG, ''Appearances'' belt buckle, of gold, ivory, topaz, glazes, and cabachons, or rounded gemstones. designed by

(c. 1900) (Musée d'Orsay) File:Louis Aucoc00.jpg, Enamel Fan-shaped leaf pins with small rose-cut diamonds in the veins by

(c. 1900), File:"Moth" Pendant and Box MET DT4659.jpg, Moth pendant by Lucien Gaillard, of Gold, champlevé enamel, citrines, carved horn;(c. 1900–1902)(Metropolitan Museum)

Graphic arts

Posters and magazine covers, advertisements and illustrations were among the most popular forms of Art Nouveau in Paris. They were made possible by the invention of color

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

in 1879, and further improvements which permitted more colors and mass production of better quality images. The subjects of posters were almost always women, whose long, curling hair became a central element of the design, often combined with flowers and vegetal designs.Fahr-Becker, Gabriele, ''L'Art Nouveau'' (2015), pp. 91–93 Paris in the 1890s was covered with colorful Art Nouveau posters selling bicycles, beverages, medicines, voyages to the South of France, all with the same spirit of movement and gaiety.

was the best-known of the poster designers, particularly for the theatrical posters he created for actress Sarah Bernhardt, beginning with a memorable poster for her starring role as Gismonda in 1895, Mucha also designed sets and costumes for Bernhardt, as well as jewelry. Bernhardt herself recognized the value of his posters as art objects, and reserved a certain number of posters for sale to collectors. The skirts and costumes of dancers, flying into billowing forms, were another popular motif, used in the early Art Nouveau by

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in th ...

and by

Jules Chéret Jules Chéret (31 May 1836 – 23 September 1932) was a French painter and lithographer who became a master of ''Belle Époque'' poster art. He has been called the father of the modern poster. Early life and career Born in Paris to a poor but ...

, depicted the dancer

Loie Fuller Loie Fuller (born Marie Louise Fuller; January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928), also known as Louie Fuller and Loïe Fuller, was an American actress and dancer who was a pioneer of both modern dance and theatrical lighting techniques. Career Bor ...

surrounded by a cloud of whirling fabric. Other important early figures in the genre included

, who taught at the major schools of graphic arts and design in Paris, and who published books of images in the new style, and

, who became famous for his posters of actresses and dancers in twisting Baroque poses. File:Lautrec moulin rouge, la goulue (poster) 1891.jpg,

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...

poster by

(1891) File:Grasset-mai.jpg, Illustration by

for ''La Belle Gardeniere'' (1893) File:Cheret, Jules - La Loie Fuller (pl 73).jpg, Poster for the dancer

(1893) File:Vin mariani publicite156.jpg, Poster for Vin Mariani by

File:Sarah Bernhardt Mucha .jpg, Postsr of Sarah Bernhardt by

(1896) File:Alfons Mucha - 1902 - Cycles Perfecta.jpg, Poster for Perfecta bicycles by

(1902)

Painting

Art Nouveau painting was decorative, intended to harmonize with architecture and interior design, usually in the form of murals, panels or screens. Most of the major painters of the period, such as

Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Re ...

and

Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...

were considered exclusively studio artists in other schools. However, some painters specifically made work in an Art Nouveau style, specifically for decoration. The best known painters in this category were the members of Les Nabis.

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with ''Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...

, Pierre Bonnard and the other Nabis often made decorative paintings tailored to particular rooms or settings. They were often inspired by Japanese panel paintings, which had become very popular in Paris during the period, largely through the efforts of

and his

beginning in 1895. As with other forms of Art Nouveau, the subjects painted were very often women in floral settings. The floral patterns were sometimes in gardens or sometimes on the walls, and were often very stylized and abstract, with a strong Japanese influence.Lacambre, Geneviève, ''La déferlante japonaise'', published in ''Les Nabis et le décor'', Beaux Arts Editions (March 2019), pp. 38–40 In some cases, the artists created murals; At the end of the Art Nouveau period, Maurice Denis painted an Art Nouveau mural on the interior of the upola of the new Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris (1908–11) File:Soir de septembre-Maurice Denis-IMG 8192.JPG,

, ''Evening in September'' (1891) File:MauriceDenis-LEchelleDansLeFeuillage.JPG, ''The Ladder in the foliage'' by Maurice Denis (1892), canvas on a wood panel, made for the ceiling of the home of art patron Henry Lerolle. The same woman on the ladder is seen from four points of view. File:1896 Bonnard Familie des Komponisten Claude Terrasse anagoria.JPG, Painted screen; the Bonnard family in the garden (1896), Alte Nationalgalerie File:Édouard Vuillard, 1891, The Flowered Dress (O vestido estampado), oil on canvas, 38 x 46 cm, Museu de Arte de São Paulo.jpg, ''The printed dress'' by

(1891), Museu de Arte de São Paulo File:Maurice denis, modello per la decorazione interna della cupola del teatro degli champs-elysées, 1911-12, 02.JPG, Portion of the mural for the cupola of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris (1908–11)

Paris museums with Art Nouveau collections

Several Paris museums have notable collections of art, design and architecture from the period. They include: * The Musée d'Orsay (paintings, furniture, sculpture) * The Musée des Arts Decoratifs, or Museum of Decorative Arts, next to the Louvre. Furniture, glass, jewelry, porcelain, * The

Musée Carnavalet The Musée Carnavalet in Paris is dedicated to the history of the city. The museum occupies two neighboring mansions: the Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau. On the advice of Baron Haussmann, the civil servant wh ...

of the history of Paris. Reconstructed rooms, objects. *

. Exhibits of jewelry, painting, and the dining room furniture of the Hotel Guimard. * Maxim's Art Nouveau "Collection 1900". Private museum over Maxim's restaurant. Groups only.

Notes and Citations

Bibliography

* Bony, Anne, ''L'Architecture Moderne'', Paris, Larousse (2012) * * * Duncan, Alastair, ''Art Nouveau'', World of Art, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1994. * * Lahor, Jean (2007) 901 ''L'Art nouveau'' (in French). Baseline Co. Ltd. . * Ormiston, Rosalind; Robinson, Michael (2013). ''Art Nouveau – Posters, Illustration and Fine Art''. Flame Tree Publishing. . * * * * Riley, Noël (2004). ''Grammaire des Arts Décoratifs'' (in French). Flammarion. * Sato, Tamako (2015). ''Alphonse Mucha - the Artist as Visionary''. Cologne: Taschen. . * Sembach, Klaus-Jürgen (2013). ''L'Art Nouveau- L'Utopie de la Réconciliation'' (in French). Taschen. . * Texier, Simon (2012). ''Paris- Panorama de l'architecture''. Parigramme. . * Thiébaut, Philippe (2018). ''Mucha et l'Art Nouveau'' (in French). Paris: Éditions du Chêne. {{ISBN, 978-2-81231-806-1. Paris, Art Nouveau

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