The 2 Louis’, Frank & US Art Nouveau

Louis Tiffany
Probably the most famous person associated with the Art Nouveau style in the US is Louis Tiffany. He was born and studied art in New York before moving to Paris for further study.

He was to become famous for his Art Nouveau style glass art in particular his lamps. But he also created some outstanding paintings the ‘Snake Charmer of Tangiers’ created in 1915 considered one of his best.

On returning to New York he established a glass making factory. He invented a process for making opalescent glass known as ‘Tiffany favrile glass’. Louis created colourful windows, vases, lamps and other decorative art pieces. One of his most famous windows is the ‘Glass Curtain’ in the National Theater Mexico City.

He also designed jewelry, rugs, tiles and textiles. A window of landscaped glass panels for each season called the ‘Four Seasons’ (see below) was exhibited in Paris in 1892. This work established his international reputation.

His work included ornamental bowls, paperweights other objects. Colourful floral, abstracted floral or abstracted patterns and textures were used to create iridescent effects. His lamps had metal bases with one piece shades in stained glass.

Louis Sullivan
Sullivan was a Chicago architect who added ornament in a highly personalised style of natural organic forms to many of his buildings. The interior spaces of the ‘Chicago Auditorium Building’ were designed by Louis. The great arches studded with electric light bulbs with florid gilded ornamental relief in the Art Nouveau style are examples of his work.

Louis’ interest in creating tall buildings led him to a simple, modern style on the exteriors of his buildings in his later works. However in many of the interiors of the building he still used decorative ornament.

Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank first worked as a draftsman for Sullivan. Sullivan went on to be his mentor. They worked together on a number of projects of which Charnley House built in Chicago 1892 is an example. The windows below were created for the Chicago Auditorium window and are thought to have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright who was a draughtsman on the project.

 
Sullivan is famous for building the first skyscraper and his still very much used statement ‘form follows function’. He was one of the main pioneers of modernism. Due to this Louis Sullivan’s work in the Art Nouveau style is often forgotten or overlooked.

Frank went on the clarify Sullivan's statement saying

‘Form follows function - 

that has been misunderstood. 

Form and function should be one, 

joined in a spiritual union’

You may be interested in the video on YouTube of the Tiffany Exhibition at The Morse Museum of American Art just click on the link below

Stile Liberty, Turin, Milan and Gesamtkunstwerk

In Italy, the Art Nouveau style was known as Stile Liberty. The style was influenced by the English fabric design of Arthur Liberty . His work was instrumental in disseminating the style on the continent.

Turin was the capital of the ‘Stile Liberty’ movement also known as stile floreade meaning curving floral design. In 1902 the ‘Prima Esposizone Internazionale d’Arte Decorative Moderna’ said to be the most ambitious display of international decorative art ever was hosted in Turin. 

The furniture designs of Vittorio Valabrega and Agostino Lauro and designer Carlo Bugoitti were on display at the exhibition. Lauro’s work combined architecture, furnishings and decoration a theme know as Gesamtkunstwerk. The furniture designs he presented were from a room in a Villa he designed in Sordevolo

There are many Art Nouveau style buildings in Milan; the Palazzo Castiglioui designed in 1901-1904 by Giuseppe Sommaruga is well known for its metal work. Some streets in the city have a number of Art Nouveau buildings; the Via Piscane and Malpighi. The Casa Cambiaghi has peacock motifs as a feature.  

The style of the Casa Battaini building on Via Piscana was influenced by Victor Horta. The Art Nouveau style is also evident in building in the towns of Verbania, Stresa, Bellagio and Campode Fiori near Varese

On the street Via Malphighi the ‘Mucha House’ and the cinema ‘Dumont’ built in 1909 are housed. The Stile Liberty style is characterised by abstract flora wood work, stain glass and semi transparent glass. The trends toward geometric forms are evident in the Emporium Corso Venszia.

Lo Stile Liberty in Italia

The German Youth Style and the Vienna Secession

Art Nouveau in Germany was expressed in the ‘youth style’ or Jugendstil. In Austria the Vienna Secession group of artists and designers created a form of Art Nouveau. The Vienna Secession group of creative individuals had a great impact on what we call modern design.

Sorry about the interruption to my blogs on Art Nouveau. We had a sudden illness and death in our family. During this sad time we travelled interstate to be with family. It always amazes me (I know it shouldn’t) how even at times like these the kindness, care and provision of God shines through.

‘I believe in the sun 
even when it isn’t shinning

I believe in love even when I cannot feel it

I believe in God even when he is silent’

Written on the wall by a Jewish prisoner in Cologne

Art Nouveau in Germany
In Germany the best example of Art Nouveau was August Endell’s ‘Atelier Elivra’ built in 1896. The façade was asymmetrical, the windows and door openings rectangular with curving corners. The building was decorated with a bas relief of curing lines giving a wave like appearance.

In Munich the German Art Nouveau developed as the ‘youth style’ or Jugendstil. In 1899 Richard Riemerschmidt designed a music room for the Dresden exhibition. He designed furniture, lighting and wall decoration. One of his chairs from this time has become a ‘classic’ and influenced modern design.

For the Paris exhibition in the same year he worked with Bernhard Pankok to create a dining room. Pankok also designed a smoking room. He lined the room with carved timber shapes creating what was called by some a Jugendstil fantasy world.

Another designer working in the Jugendstil style was Peter Behrens. The interiors of his home Darmstadt built in 1901 are an example of his work. Peter also designed electric fans, kettles and other products for the German electrical industry in a more reserved modern style.

The Vienna Secession
A group of artists and designers in Austria become known as the Vienna Secession. In 1897 they withdrew from the Vienna Academy in protest because the Academy would not accept modernist works. Gustav Klimt the painter headed up the group.

Joseph Oldrich created a design based on natural forms for the decorative detail of the Secession Gallery in 1897. There were hints of classicism in the symmetrical rectangular building. The arched ceiling had skylights and flowing Art Nouveau motifs decorated the walls. Oldrich also designed the Villa Friedmann.

Another architect involved in the Secession style was Josef Hoffmann. His later works became more rectangular. The Puckerdorf Sanatorium built in 1903-6 has white walls. The interior are simple with patterned tiled floors in black and white. The furniture is inclined to be of in straight lined modern style. His most famous work built in 1905-11 is the Palasis Stoclet found in Brussels.

The building is asymmetrical with sculpture placed on the large tower. Interior walls are thin marble sheets edged with gilding. Klimt created large murals for the dining room.

Adolf Loos was involved with the group but became concerned with what he thought was a superficial decorative slant in the movement. His work includes bentwood furniture for Thonet.

He also worked with the glassware firm Lobmeyr. His Steiner House built in 1910 was very austere with white block like walls with scattered windows.

The work produced by the Vienna Secession tended to be simple and geometric in form; craft orientated with the result it has had a greater impact on modern design than the other forms of Art Nouveau developed in France and Belgium.

Was Gaudi gaudy?

The Spanish architect and designer Antoni Gaudi was considered gaudy by some. Yet others found his work inspiring and individualist. He was an architect and designer. Gaudi expressed himself in stained glass, ceramics, wrought iron and furniture as well as architecture.

Antoni was interested in tonal values as much as colour. He used natural forms; sinuous and plant like. He would use clay or plaster to model his design ideas in 3D sculptures. 

Gaudi designed apartment blocks, churches and parks. He was influenced by the Art and Craft movement, Viollet le Duc and from his own desire to design without artistic reference. His Casa Batllo 1904-1906 brief was for the apartment to be refaced and refurbished. 

He created interiors with undulating ceilings unusually shaped windows and door frames. The furniture he designed was biomorphic and carved in solid oak. Panel doors were studded with small mirrors.

The Casa Mila a six story apartment block was begun in 1905. The exterior made of rippled cement was created around open courtyards. Balconies have iron railings and the chimneys and air vents are sculpture like structures. He also designed the furniture.  

   

Gaudi considered aspect and ergonomic principles important. He used bits of rubble, bricks, shade of pottery, paint and whitewash to create unique work. He also used the advanced technologies of the industrial age. This is how many Art Nouveau designers differ from the Art and Craft movement designers. He stated:

‘Those who look for the laws of nature 

as a support for their new work 

collaborate with the creator’ 

Art Nouveau was originally a term used for the French and Belgium designs of the early 20^th century. It was only later the term was extended to include work like Gaudi’s. It has become the term used for design created in nontraditional naturalistic styles in many countries during this era.

               

 

Horta, Van de Velde, Bauhaus and Bing

It is often suggested Art Nouveau first appeared in France and Belgium. This is mainly considered the case due to the work of the great architect Victor Horta and the designer Van de Velde both from Belgium. Their work first appeared in Belgium; townhouses featured elegantly twining wrought-iron staircases, balconies, and gates. 

Velde moved to Paris and designed a shop for Samuel Bing. The La Maison de l'Art Nouveau shop would give its name to the Art Nouveau movement. Velde designed everything in his own house down to the table silver and cookware. 

He was inspired by English Arts and Craft design and established a bridge between the two. He moved to Berlin and designed the Art School in 1904-11. This school would eventually become the world leading Bauhaus.

Victor Horta designed furniture, light fittings, stain glass panels, door and window frames and hardware. One of his most famous buildings the Tassel House (hotel) was built in 1892. He used flowing curves in the steps and iron railings of the stair way. He painted or stenciled mute coloured patterns on the walls and ceiling. The metal columns were slim, hanging light fittings with shades in curved flower like shapes and the floor was mosaic placed in an S curved flowing pattern.

Horta’s own house is now the Horta Museum. He used white tiles on the walls and ceiling in a brick like fashion. Timbers built in cabinets were created with stained glass inserts. Curved lines dominate the furniture and room.

Horta used a centralized floor plan instead of the usual corridor design of the era. He supervised all the interior decoration and furniture design in all his buildings. The four major town houses he designed Hotel Tassel, Hotel Solvay, Hotel van Eetvelde and the Maison & Atelier are located in Brussels. In 2000 the buildings were listed as World Heritage.

Victor Horta used

·         Iron railings in curved lines

·         Stenciled walls and ceilings

·         Mosaic floor tiles

·         Irregular shapes

·         Exposed cast iron structurally

·         A centralised floor plan

·         Glass and iron facades  

·         Asymmetrical balance

·         White tiles

·         Muted colours (olive, mustard, sage, brown gold, salmon…)

France

Hector Guimard is the architect who developed the style in France. He designed the Parisian Metro subway entrances in 1898-1901.

Emile Galle’s glass work, Louis Majorelle’s furniture designs and the posters of the artist Alphonse Mucha are all contributors to the Art Nouveau movement.

Maxim’s Restaurant also had fashionable Art Nouveau interior décor. In 1909 Paris was invaded by the Ballets Russes. They used scenery and costumes in bright primary colours instead of the pastel shades of the era. This influenced the interior decoration of drawings rooms and salons. The rooms become richly textured, with patterned curtains and heaps of cushions in reds, green and orange.  

 

"The artist is nothing without the gift, 

but the gift is nothing without work."

   Emile Zola (1840-1902)