The most recognized Art Nouveau structure is the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1900 Paris World's Fair.
Rebellion against the rigidly formal classical approaches of art by European artists and architects resulted in a movement known as Art Nouveau, which means "new art." Introduced in France in the mid-1800s, it was characterized by stunning architectural structures. The Hotel Tassel in Brussels by architect Victor Horta, is considered the world's first Art Nouveau structure. Art Nouveau eventually migrated to America and influenced famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Origins
According to Art Nouveau World Wide, Art Nouveau architecture was rooted in Neo-Gothic style and encouraged by new materials that emerged in the 19th century such as iron, steel, industrial-strength glass and concrete. Art Nouveau architecture is characterized by Japanese motifs, asymmetrical shapes, curved glass and extensive uses of curved forms and arches. It also typically possesses embellishments such as mosaics and stained glass. Belgium is considered the capital of Art Nouveau architecture, with more than 300 Art Nouveau buildings.
Early Art Influences, 1874 to 1893
In 1875, an arts and crafts promotion company, Morris and Company, founded by William Morris, a designer of wallpaper, fabric, carpets and furniture, helped create a climate in Europe for Art Nouveau. In Chicago in 1883, the first "skyscraper," the 10-story Home Insurance building, began construction using cast iron and wrought iron. At the same time in Brussels, the term "Art Nouveau" began appearing in print.
Evolution, 1893 to 1914
In 1893 in England, the first issue of the arts magazine "The Studio" was published by Art Nouveau graphic designer Aubrey Beardsley. In Brussels, architect Victor Horta built the first Art Nouveau structure, The Hotel Tassel. From 1894 to 1898, French architect Hector Guimard designed and constructed Castel Beranger in Paris. He later designed the entrance to the Paris Metro and the Synagogue de la Rue Pavee. In Paris in 1895, Siegfried Bing organized a Japanese print exhibition through his Art Nouveau gallery, Maison de l'Art Nouveau. The same year Parisian art nouveau artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted "Jane Avril at the Jardin de Paris." From 1895 to 1914 the Art Nouveau movement traveled throughout Europe. In Spain it was known as" Arte Noven." In Germany it was called "Jugendstil," and in Italy it was known as "Stile Liberty."
Global Architectural Emergence
Examples of Art Nouveau include Parque Guell in Barcelona, Majolika Haus in Vienna and The Municipal House in Prague. Perhaps the most well-known of all is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. According to the New World Encyclopedia, architects that best represented the Art Nouveau movement included mile Andr (1871-1933), Georges Biet (1868-1955), Paul Charbonnier (1865-1953), Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco (1857-1932), Mikhail Eisenstein (1867 - 1921), August Endel (1871-1925), Gabriel Baranovskii (1860-1920), Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), Vladislav Gorodetsky (1863-1930), Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956),
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), Marian Peretiatkovich (1872-1916), Fyodor Shekhtel (1859-1926), Louis Sullivan (1856-1924), Eugene Vallin (1856-1922), Henry Van de Velde (1863-1957), Otto Wagner (1841-1918) and Lucien Weissenburger (1860-1929).
