Art Nouveau is an international style of art, architecture and applied art, especially the decorative

arts. It is also known as the Modern Style (not to be confused with Modernism and Modern
architecture). The style was most popular between 1890 and 1910. It was a reaction against the
academic art, eclecticism and historicism of 19th century architecture and decoration. It was often
inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and flowers. Other characteristics of Art
Nouveau were a sense of dynamism and movement, often given by asymmetry or "whiplash" curves,
and the use of modern materials, particularly iron, glass, ceramics and later concrete, to create
unusual forms and larger open spaces.

One major objective of Art Nouveau was to break down the traditional distinction between fine arts
(especially painting and sculpture) and applied arts. It was most widely used in interior design, graphic
arts, furniture, glass art, textiles, ceramics, jewelry and metal work.

The first Art Nouveau houses and interior decoration appeared in Brussels in the 1890s, in the
architecture and interior design of houses designed by Paul Hankar, Henry Van de Velde, and
especially Victor Horta, whose Hôtel Tassel was completed in 1893. It moved quickly to Paris, where it
was adapted by Hector Guimard, who saw Horta's work in Brussels and applied the style for the
entrances of the new Paris Metro. It reached its peak at the 1900 Paris International Exposition, which
introduced the Art Nouveau work of artists such as Louis Tiffany. It appeared in graphic arts in the
posters of Alphonse Mucha, and the glassware of René Lalique and Émile Gallé.

From Belgium and France, it spread to the rest of Europe, taking on different names and
characteristics in each country (see Naming section below). It often appeared not only in capitals, but
also in rapidly growing cities that wanted to establish artistic identities (Turin and Palermo in Italy;
Glasgow in Scotland; Munich and Darmstadt in Germany), as well as in centres of independence
movements (Helsinki in Finland, then part of the Russian Empire; Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain).

By 1910, Art Nouveau's influence was fading. It was replaced as the dominant European architectural
and decorative style first by Art Deco and then by Modernism.

CARACTERISTICI

Early Art Nouveau, particularly in Belgium and France, was characterized by undulating, curving forms
inspired by lilies, vines, flower stems and other natural forms. used in particular in the interiors
of Victor Horta and the decoration of Louis Majorelle and Emile Gallé. It also drew upon patterns
based on butterflies and dragonflies, borrowed from Japanese art, which were popular in Europe at
the time.
Early Art Nouveau also often featured more stylized forms expressing movement, such as the coup de
fouet or "whiplash" line of cyclamen plants drawn by designer Hermann Obrist in 1894. A description
published in Pan  magazine of  Hermann Obrist's wall hanging Cyclamen  (1894), compared it to the
"sudden violent curves generated by the crack of a whip. …  Such decorative undulating and flowing
lines in a syncopated rhythm and asymmetrical shape, are often found in the architecture, painting,
sculpture, and other forms of Art Nouveau design.
Other floral forms were popular, inspired by lilies, wisteria and other flowers, particularly in the lamps
of Louis Comfort Tiffany and the glass objects made by the artists of the School of Nancy and Émile
Gallé. Other curving and undulating forms borrowed from nature included butterflies, peacocks,
swans, and water lilies. Many designs depicted women's hair intertwined with stems of lilies, irises
and other flowers. Stylized floral forms were particularly used by Victor Horta in carpets, balustrades,
windows, and furniture. They were also used extensively by Hector Guimard for balustrades,
and,most famously, for the lamps and railings at the entrances of the Paris Metro. Guimard explained:
"That which must be avoided in everything that is continuous is the parallel and symmetry. Nature is
the greatest builder and nature makes nothing that is parallel and nothing that is symmetrical."
In the second phase of Art Nouveau, following 1900, the decoration became purer and the lines were
more stylized. The curving lines and forms evolved into polygons and then into cubes and other
geometric forms. These geometric forms were used with particular effect in the architecture and
furniture of Joseph Maria Olbrich, Otto Wagner, Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann, especially
the Palais Stoclet in Brussels, which announced the arrival of Art Deco and modernism.
Another characteristic of Art Nouveau architecture was the use of light, by opening up of interior
spaces, by the removal of walls, and the extensive use of skylights to bring a maximum amount of
light into the interior. The residence-studio of architect and other houses built Victor Horta had
extensive skylights, supported on curving iron frames. In the Hotel Tassel he removed the traditional
walls around the stairway, so that the stairs became a central element of the interior design.
-wikipedia

ARTISTS: check that 10 pages n such -invaluable

ALPHONSE MUCHA -

Alfons Maria Mucha 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939) known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a
Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist, living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, best known
for his distinctly stylized and decorative theatrical posters, particularly that of Sarah Bernhardt.[4] He
produced illustrations, advertisements, decorative panels, and designs, which became among the
best-known images of the period.[5]
In the second part of his career, at the age of 43, he returned to his homeland of Bohemia-Moravia
region in Austria and devoted himself to painting a series of twenty monumental canvases known
as The Slav Epic, depicting the history of all the Slavic peoples of the world,[3] which he painted
between 1912 and 1926. In 1928, on the 10th anniversary of the independence of Czechoslovakia, he
presented the series to the Czech nation. He considered it his most important work. It is now on
display in Brno.

GISMONDA

Artistul francez de origine cehă, Alphonse Maria Mucha (1860-1939), a fost una dintre marile
personalități ale curentului Art Nouveau, creatorul unei opere originale și diverse. A abordat mai
multe genuri artistice, excelând în grafică și realizând câteva dintre cele mai celebre afișe ale vremii
sale. A studiat la Academia regală din München, iar din anul 1888, a început să frecventeze cursurile
Academiei Julian, din Paris.

În timpul studiilor s-a întreținut lucrând ca ilustrator de cărți. A participat la numeroase expoziții și a
fost recompensat cu medalia de argint la Expoziția Universală de la Paris, din anul 1900, pentru
mobilarea pavilionului Bosniei și Herțegovinei. În anul 1901, a fost distins cu Legiunea de Onoare, iar
în 1902, a publicat cartea ”Documente decorative” (Documents décoratifs), o carte model pentru
ornamentica sa, conținând sugestii pentru punerea ei în practică.

Opera sa îmbină stilul artei bizantine și trăsături ale Artei 1900, printr-o cromatică diafană, simboluri
pertinente, reușind să realizeze o amprentă personală, preluată mai apoi de alți artiști europeni.
Tinerele cu expresii visătoare, drapate în veșminte vaporoase, sunt marca sa. Mucha creează
prototipul feminin de Bellé Époque care ajunge să domine întreg Parisul. Prin opera sa, acest ideal
depășește granițele Franței, impunându-se în întreaga lume.

Fost elev al pictorului și sculptorului francez, Jean-Paul Laurens (1838-1921), se va aventura, din
întâmplare, în arta afișului, iar succesul va fi imediat. Stilul lui Mucha amintește de Art Nouveau-ul
vienez. Este caracterizat de o ornamentație din flori artificiale și de o eleganță universală a
reprezentărilor, combinate cu o tratare simetrică a suprafețelor și a liniilor, și cu o dependență față de
efectele de culoare.

Afișul realizat pentru actrița franceză Sarah Bernhardt, în anul 1894, intitulat Gismonda, este printre
lucrările cele mai cunoscute. Dramatismul acestui afiș pentru piesa de teatru semnată de Victorien
Sardou, a produs o mare senzație și a determinat-o pe actriță să-i ofere autorului un contract de
exclusivitate. Mulți spectatori vor avea, adesea, ocazia să o zărească pe Divină, supranumită ”vocea
de aur a teatrului francez”, portretizată pe afișe gigantice, etalate pe fațadele clădirilor într-un stil
bizantino-floral necunoscut până atunci. Mucha și-a asumat responsabilitatea nu doar pentru afișele
artistei, ci și pentru decorurile de teatru și costumele ei. Începând din acel moment, a fost asaltat de
comenzi de grafică, afișe publicitare, calendare, ilustrații de cărți, titluri de revistă și panouri
decoratie.

Celebritatea lui Alphonse Mucha a determinat-o pe viitoarea suverană a României, principesa Maria,
să achiziționeze câteva dintre cele mai reprezentative opere ale acestuia, precum cele patru panouri
cu Anotimpurile, altele cu Momentele zilei și impozantul afiș pentru spectacolul Gismonda, expuse în
castelul Pelișor. Sarah Bernhardt era una dintre actrițele preferate ale tinerei principese
moștenitoare, Maria deseori imitând-o în toalete și alură. A fost invitată, în repetate rânduri, de către
regina Elisabeta, la evenimentele muzicale și literare, organizate la castelul Peleș.

Afișul o reprezintă pe actrița Sarah Bernhardt, în costumație imperială bizantină, în rolul Gismondei,
opera dramatică semnată de Victorien Sardou. Poartă o mantie bogată, amplă, iar pe cap o cunună de
iriși. În mâna dreaptă ține o crenguță de palmier, iar cea stângă este adusă pe piept. În fundal,
deasupra capului, apare înscris numele actriței, în arc de cerc. Partea inferioară prezintă un personaj
grotesc sprijinindu-se într-un ruban purtând numele teatrului.

Piesa de teatru ”Gismonda” a avut prima reprezentație la 4 ianuarie 1895, la Teatrul Renaissance din
Paris.

JOB

Artwork description & Analysis: This striking poster was created as an advertisement for the Job
cigarette company. A beautiful woman with a lighted cigarette dominates Mucha's poster, the rising
smoke intertwining with her swirling, Pre-Raphaelite hair and the Job logo. The poster's golden zigzag
border, inspired by Byzantine mosaics, combines with the twirling smoke and the rich purple
background to create a luxurious and sensual mood. The curving lines of the woman's hair and rising
smoke stand out against the rhythmic lines of the zigzag frame.The very fact that this woman is
smoking - let alone that she is somewhat eroticized - was scandalous, since no respectable woman of
the time would smoke in public. Furthermore, her sensual tangle of cascading hair was daring,
because respectable women of the era wore their hair tied up.

These significant breaks from tradition suggest that the smoker may be wanton and wild. She is lost in
pleasure - quite possibly in the nude, her closed eyes and half smile suggesting ecstasy. Mucha depicts
his smoking woman in the manner of a rapturous saint to advertise an everyday product, thereby
revealing his great skill at blending art and commerce. He elevates the ordinary to a realm of
mysterious beauty.

Color lithograph - Mucha Museum, Prague

Mucha designed posters for each successive Bernhardt play, beginning with a reprise of one of her
early great successes, La Dame aux Camelias (September 1896), followed by Lorenzaccio (1896);
Medea (1898); La Tosca (1898) and Hamlet (1899). He sometimes worked from photographs of
Bernhardt, as he did for La Tosca. In addition to posters, he designed theatrical programs, sets,
costumes, and jewelry for Bernhardt. The enterprising Bernhardt set aside a certain number of
printed posters of each play to sell to collectors.