A New Age

The movement that became known as art nouveau developed in Europe during the last decade of the 19th century -- one Siegfried Bing, a German entrepreneur who owned a Japanese import shop in Paris in 1895, decided to rename it La Maison de L'Art Nouveau. The name soon became associated with the art movement that rapidly swept the continent.

In part a reaction to staid Victorian styles and the drab realities of the Industrial Revolution and actually lasting but a relatively short time (less than a quarter century), the movement had a major impact upon not only art but also architecture, textiles, metalwork, interior design and jewelry.

Part of its appeal to young people stemmed from the older generation's opposition to such a flamboyant style. Much of French society at the beginning of the 20th century, all the way from the upper classes to the demimonde, enthusiastically favored the new movement. Such personalities as the dynamic actress Sarah Bernhardt, who often wore ornate costumes on stage, celebrated a new freedom for women, and a distinguishing feature of much of the new art was its portrayal of women. They were often depicted in exotically ethereal or erotic poses -- their sensual forms frequently only partially clothed, with their hair flowing freely -- symbolizing a new feminist freedom. Long, curving, swirling lines characterized many of the new designs, as did the rich colors and fantastic, often intricate patterns. Nature was celebrated, too, with grasses, vines and flowers often swaying and and twisting about the women.

The movement spread throughout Europe and was known by other names in various countries, such as The Arts and Crafts Movement in England, although that country's conservatism inhibited much development there. Art nouveau was known as Jugendstil in Germany, Modernismo in Spain, Secessionstil in Austria and Stile Liberty in Italy -- all names indicating something new and modern. By World War I, however, the movement had become heavily overcommercialized and had lost much of its luster. Yet another "new" trend was now spreading throughout European society -- as the hackneyed styles of art nouveau yielded to the fresh, dynamic designs of art deco.

The great art nouveau designer Alphonse Mucha was born in the Czech Republic in 1860. He studied art at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts from 1885-87, before traveling to Paris in 1888, yet another artist who sought inspiration in the stimulating atmosphere of the French capital. Mucha studied for a while at the Academie Colarossi and then found work as a book and newspaper illustrator, before the turning point in his career that set him on his path as the leading light of what developed as art nouveau.

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