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| René Lalique, French, 1860 - 1945 Dragonfly woman corsage ornament, 1897 - 1898 gold, enamel, chrysoprase, moonstones, and diamonds, 23 x 26.5 (9 x 10 3/8) |
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| ELLA NAPER 1886-1972 Lily-pad Hair Combs Green-tinted horn, with moonstone
dewdrops Length: 9 cm Width: 6.8 cm English. Circa 1906 |
Art
Nouveau ("New Art") was one of the first departures from
classical art and design, towards a new modernism and it took
placefrom the 1880s until world War I . This avant-garde movement was
centred in Western Europe and occurred in France during what was
known as the "La Belle Epoque" period, or "beautiful
era" of the late 19th and 20th centuries. In Germany the Art
Nouveau movement was known as the " Jugendstil," or :"youth
style" arts and crafts movement, in Spain the movement was
called Modermismo and in Austria Sezessionstil. It was a reaction
against the historical and academic emphasis of the19th
century although it did not survive World War I.
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| JUGENDSTIL Buckle Silver Chalcedony German, c.1900 |
Art
Nouveau was not only a style but it was a thought of modern society
and and the various production methods. It was an effort to define
the significance and temperament of the work of art.
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| Artworks by Gustav Klimt and Aubrey Beardsley |
Art Nouveau
stressed hand crafting as divergent to mechanized form of production.
This decorative art movement placed emphasis on the idea of
functional art and encouraged making everyday items into artwork.
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| European Art Nouveau architecture |
Art
Nouveau was considered a “total style” as it influenced a broad
spectrum of design: these included architecture, interior design,
decorative arts, textiles, printing and illustration, lighting,
painting,household silverware ,furniture, jewellery as well as a wide range of
other visual arts.
The specific
ornamental characteristics of Art Nouveau included organic figures,
and curved , asymetrical, undulating lines, that were often taking
the form of flower stalks and buds, insect wings, vine tendrils and
other sinuous and delicate natural objects. Floral patterns and
leaves were also widely used. Some of the floral motifs that were
used were borrowed from English artist William Morris, founder of the
“Art and Crafts Movement” of the late Victorian era. Other common
themes included stylized, curvaceous and graceful images of women,
sometimes depicted as mermaids, nymphs and fairies complete with long
manes of twisting hair. . Animals and birds, bees, butterflies,
dragonflies also made an appearance in the movement's imagery and
often these creatures were incorporated into jewellery pieces such as
necklaces and brooches. The colours used were often bright and
clearly defined.
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| Wallpaper and sketch by William Morris |
What the
designers of this period had in common was an interest in finding a
new artistic vocabulary that could best describe and express the
modern world. They found their greatest inspiration in nature – not
necessarily nature's beauty - but instead it's never changing life
cycle of birth, life, decay and death.
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| René Lalique, French, 1860 - 1945 |
Jewellery
was one of the purest, and most successful expressions of Art Nouveau
style, using sensuous lines and organic forms to create a vast range
of exceptional beauty and inventiveness. The Art Nouveau jewellers
experimented with new forms, materials and techniques focusing more
on the originality and beauty of the piece not only the intrinsic
value of the materials used. Jewellery made from wood, bone, and
brass became popular and enamelling was was extensively used. The best examples of Art Nouveau jewellery in my opinion would be the pieces created by Rene Lalique who was recognized as one of France's foremost Art nouveau jewellery designers and went onto be the most famous in his field, his name synonymous with creativity and quality.
