Art Nouveau 1890-1914

Description

Art Nouveau exploded onto the art scene in theearly 1890s, spreading rapidly to hundreds of majorurban centres in the succeeding two decades beforecollapsing, as quickly as it had started, in the yearsrunning up to World War I. This lavishly illustratedvolume deals with Art Nouveau as an internationalphenomenon, and is the most complete and wide-ranging study to be published so far.Pulling together a huge number of sources, the bookexplores how the artists and designers who createdArt Nouveau aimed to transform their world, bychallenging convention and embracing modernity.Controversial and often provocative at the time,masterpieces such as Tiffany lampshades,Mucha posters and Lalique jewellery are examplesof how all the fine and decorative arts, includingglass, ceramics, furniture, metalwork, sculpture, printand textiles, were used to breathtaking effect.The enormous impact of Art Nouveau right across __Europe and America, from Paris to New York, Moscowto Brussels, Chicago to Helsinki, Prague to Barcelona,is also explored, revealing how the extraordinaryfacades and highly decorative interiors affectedmany people’s lives. The style’s dramatic demiseis examined in a brief final section.Featuring some of the most remarkable examplesof Art Nouveau — some collected by the V&A at thetime the style was flourishing — the illustrations includeworks from many museums and private collections,worldwide. The careers of leading figures such asAubrey Beardsley, Emile Gallé, Antoni Gaudi, JosefHoffmann, Victor Horta, Charles Rennie Mackintosh,Louis Sullivan, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Henry vande Velde are analysed, making this the mostcomprehensive reference volume available.Masterpieces in all media are represented, superblyillustrated, while period photography, much of it notreproduced since its original appearance, providesa glorious visual context.The book includes contributions from twenty leadingscholars in the field, and is published to coincidewith a major exhibition at the V&A, London, and theNational Gallery of Art, Washington.