Furniture - Art Nouveau (1884 - 1918)

French Art Nouveau couch (1910) Art Nouveau developed from the the Arts and Crafts Movement.  It attempts to create organic forms and a sense of movement by the use of flowing curves and austere detailing.

In Paris in 1895, Siegfried Bing opened La Maison de l’Art Nouveau where he sold furniture designed by Georges de Feure, Eugene Gaillard and Edward Colonna  The simple, light furniture featured tapering legs, gentle curves and minimal carving, giving it an airy, floating appearance. It was usually made of walnut or, occasionally, oak.

In 1897, another group of artists in Paris, calling themselves Les Six, held an exhibition of furniture in the Art Nouveau style. Their work featured sinuous, flowing lines, sometimes with gilt metal fittings.

 
The great Paris Exhibition of 1900 was dominated by Art Nouveau works. Several of the leading French cabinet makers exhibited elaborately carved works, often covered in marquetry, in the style.

While Art Nouveau flourished in France and England, with the exception of the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany, it had little impact in America.

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Posters

Carpentier Chocolat poster (1895) Posters have been produced since the printing press was invented in the 15th century. Until about 1800, however, posters were mainly text with sometimes a small illustration.

The invention of lithography, in 1798, made it much easier to include colour illustrations in posters. This, and the need to advertise the new mass-produced goods being produced as a result of the Industrial Revolution, led to a boom in poster production.

 Poster by Jules Cherat "Pantomines Lunieuses"

Poster by Toulouse Lautrec "Divan Japonais" Posters in the first half of the 19th century were still straightforward with text predominating and illustration secondary. From 1867, Jules Cherat began producing posters in which the illustration was the dominant feature and text became a minor part, usually a few words at the bottom of the poster. Cherat’s illustrations were also different from the earlier style. Rather than straightforward, realistic illustrations, Cherat used idealised, romantic drawings.

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