Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau was a distinctive art movement that carried new material, machined surfaces and abstraction.

Compared to the Art and Crafts movement that rejected the norms of using the new style in its works Art Nouveau rejected the norms of using the old style in its art.

Art Nouveau embraced the new (new style) by using very ornamented designs. Media such as paintings and poster design were superior in the Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau saw fine arts and arts as a means of everything working together; therefore they narrowed the gap between art and fine art.

Influences

Poster production

·       Lithography and printmaking

·       Chromolithography that was introduced later in the 19^th century

·       Postal art- poster art

Japonisme

·       The use of flat perspective, and flat broad flat colours that the Japanese introduced

·       The use of foreground and background patterning (ornamental) that added a reduction of pictorial depth

·       Employment of empty space and asymmetrical compositional devices, this created simplicity and a sense of spontaneous.

One man who was able to show these influences was Henry De Toulouse-Lautrec

 

Fin De Siècle (the end of the century)

This movement influenced the Art Nouveau more effectively because of the Fin De Siècle, wanted new beginnings and that was shown in every art created. The Fin De Siècle was developed at the end of the 19^th century which was the period of hope and a new beginning. The artists In that time wanted to create new beginnings because of the degenerated society, and this was clearly shown by Alphonse Mucha.

Characteristics

-Alphonse Mucha

Alphonse Mucha used original and geometrical form evolving elegant designs.

Art Nouveau saw the line as a design element that empowered the whole artwork. The line was seen as an asymmetrical element and an energy-laden that created movement on artwork. The artists used organic moving flowing lines. The thing that Art Nouveau painters saw that had curves and interesting lines all in the right places was the female body. The woman was semi-naked as advertising. Therefore they used the female body as a means of resulting to energetic lines. Art Nouveau used abstract lines like organic plants that had many vines.

One painting that resulted to a semi-naked woman used as advertising is:

Alphonse Mucha, John Cigarette Papers(1896).

The Very stylised advert that advertises cigarettes, with a semi-naked woman smoking it. This not only served a means of intriguing the viewer but also looking back at the characteristics of Art Nouveau, the used of distinctive lines as their subject matter.

Alphonse’s Cigarette Paper's advert combined art and commerce, it challenged the norm of using old style and new style.

Figure 1. Mucha, A, Spring, 1896, Painting.

Url: http://www.muchafoundation.org/gallery/browse-works/object/81

This above image is a good description of Art Nouveau, however, the woman is not semi-naked but the characteristics are included. The wavy hair, the use of line which was an important element, the flat foreground, very ornamental, no pictorial depth, empty background, the use of flat perspective and the use of flat colours. The woman’s hair is complimented by floral patterning of the Art Nouveau which was one of the elements that described the Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau influenced illustration.

Figure 2. Sin,C.L, Name, Chong Lock Sin, Year: unknown, Typography

Url:https://za.pinterest.com/pin/498984833683834595/

The above image is a contemporary(art deco) image that was influenced by the Art Nouveau. Lines in this image are used very distinctively, the lines around the corners of the page are curling along complimenting with line work at the bottom right corner and top left corner and the centre. 

The image consists of drawings/illustrations that have the same elements as the rest of the image, creating some sort of pattern. The patterns sort of create a flat imagery on the whole picture due to the use of lines, a few dull colours and using the same line character repeatedly. 

To show that the above image is a contemporary image of Art Nouveau the use of the flat background colour, the organic lines that are used, the images look very illustrated and stylised and lastly every line compliments each other. The image includes typography, seems to be that everything looks free and fresh as if they were just born, or the abstract feeling one gets when feeling new and ready for new beginnings, everything is bright and loose.

Art Nouveau was an art movement that was known as the new style which wanted to create something new every time, just like the Fin De Siècle, which later on succeeded because of the movement sticking to its norms and characteristics of being  Art Nouveau.