An Art Lesson: A Brief History of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts Movements
Art Deco-
Art Deco was born in 1925 at the Paris International Exposition and lived and evolved over a quarter of a century. Evoking images of nude nymphs, geometry-centric lines curves and shapes, early chrome and glass and caricatures of greyhound dogs, Art Deco has often been misunderstood.
Within the genre of Deco there were several sub-categories. French Deco was opulent; using exotic inlaid woods along with leather and fur. American designers adopted the symmetrical curves of French deco and included in every detail of their designs in that era, from furniture to jewelry. Modernism was hot and vinyl coverings and chrome-plated brass was in vogue.
By 1950 Deco included black wrought iron and pink accent pieces and was so massively produced it is still easily found by collectors today. Blue tinted glass top tables and “Chase” chrome were hot décor items.
Art Nouveau-
Literally translated Art Nouveau means “New Art”. This often whimsical New Art appeared in every facet of decorative arts at the end of the ostentatious Rococo period of the 1800s. There was a famous shop on the Rue de Provence called “L’Art Nouveau”. This gallery was opened in 1895 by the German art dealer Siegfried Bing in Paris and its core focus was on modern art. After the “1900 Exposition Universelle” the shop was popularized because of the displays of Bing’s modern furniture, tapestries and objets d’art. So strong was the connection between these modern decorative displays and the store that the name of Bing’s gallery became a commonly-used term for the décor itself.
Just as William Morris’s Arts and Crafts Movement did, Art Nouveau maked art part of everyday life. Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who used Art Nouveau designs to create an empire. Tiffany worked in the decorative arts but is best known for his stained glass and lamps in the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements.
Art Nouveau held a fifteen-year peak in the decorative arts world. It fell out of favor with the arrival of 20th-century modernist styles.
Arts and Crafts-
The final quarter of the Victorian era, the late 1800’s, saw the entrance of machines in the field of manufacturing. It also saw the revolution against in the way of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Born in Britain it soon spread to the United States via designers like Elbert Hubbard and Gustav Stickley. The Arts and Crafts Movement itself gave birth to Craftsman and Mission designs.The Arts and Crafts Philosophy subscribed to the idea of purifying art. These artisans and philosophers believed that designs should follow the function. Simplicity and craftsmanship were highly held virtues.
Expert metalworkers like Albert Berry and Dirk van Erp found a name for themselves in this genus. Their work is still sought after and collected by Arts and Crafts devotees today. Furniture in this style is usually heavy, squared, highly functional and usually made of a sturdy hardwood like oak.
Tags: art deco, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, dirk van erp, Gustav Stickley, Mission, mission designers, tiffany, William Morris
