Framed Art Nouveau Pictures

Art Nouveau was a phenomenally successful artistic style, the influence of which stretched into architecture and commercial design. The style was prominent during the Belle Époque (1880 to 1914) but reached its zenith at the fin de siècle between 1892 and 1902.

Art Nouveau (literally New Art) was truly international in style; its principal base was in Paris but there were regional centres of excellence in Brussels and Glasgow, where Charles Rennie MacKintosh was the leading light. In Spain the movement was led by the architect Antoni Gaudi, many of whose works still grace Barcelona, the city where he worked. In Russia the style's influence extended into the wider arts such as the Ballets Russes. Commercial influence and application are demonstrated by the Liberty style and the arts and crafts movement in Britain and America and the development of commercial art and posters, especially in France. The leading exponent of this and an example of the style's penetration into Central Europe was the Czech-born Alphonse Mucha, but the Parisian artists such as Jules Cheret and Toulouse Lautrec are best known for their poster artwork. The movement had its own localised names in certain languages - Jugendstil (Youth style) or Young Poland for example.

So many wonderful Art Nouveau posters survive because they became collectible items. Advances in lithographic printing techniques allowed for colour printing on a, literally, large scale for the first time, and therefore for the popular graphic style of Art Nouveau to be widely available. Commercial poster print runs were extended to allow for extra copies to be sold to collectors.

The style was typified by extravagant, flowing and curved lines, often based on a floral motif. It took romantic themes from the Pre-Raphaelite movement and combined them with the abstract, flowing style of Symbolism or Aestheticism (the style of artists such as Aubrey Beardsley) to create a modern, forward- looking approach. It is perhaps the commercial application of the style that gives its particular directness, appeal and lasting presence.

The Lordprice Collection's spread of Art Nouveau pictures, posters and art reflects the European origin of the movement and the important influence of France and Paris, so there are fine examples of posters and adverts for champagne, wine, beer and cognac. The leading artists whose works we show include Mucha and the Italian Leonetto Cappiello. The latter in particular continued and developed his work successfully into the succeeding, post-war Art Deco style.

The popularity of the romantic Art Nouveau style was dealt a crushing blow by the tragic slaughter of the Great War. Art Deco, which succeeded it, was less influenced by flowers and romance, more by industrial efficiency and streamlining.

If you're lucky enough to travel in Europe, we recommend two surviving examples of Art Nouveau elegance - a tour of Barcelona to witness Gaudi's architecture and decorative features, and in Paris where an eloquent demonstration of its practical implementation are Hector Guimard's Metro entrances, and the furniture and paintings in the Musée D'Orsay are a perfect evocation of the era in an appropriate setting.

Here are some more ways to reach our art nouveau framed pictures -

Art Nouveau Transport framed picture
Art Nouveau Drink framed picture
Art Nouveau Illustration framed picture
Art Nouveau Magazine Cover framed picture
Art Nouveau Fashion framed picture
Art Nouveau Theatre framed picture
Jules Cheret framed picture
Aubrey Beardsley framed picture
Alphonse Mucha framed picture
Leonetto Cappiello framed picture
Toulouse-Lautrec framed picture