Art Nouveau 1890-1914 [Paperback]

Paul Greenhalgh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2002

Looking at Art Nouveau from an international perspective, this text examines its origins and meaning within an art-historical, literary and social context. It covers all the major designers of the period and the environment in which they worked, describing the variation in forms and ideas expressed in key schools of thought. An important section of the book is devoted to architecture and interior design, and features cities such as Paris and Brussels, New York and Moscow, through the work of architects and designers whose names have become inextricably linked with their turn-of-the century flowering.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Art nouveau embraced massive works of architecture and delicate pieces of jewelry, images of eerie seductresses and sinuous plant forms as well as flowing abstract shapes. The style transformed the decorative arts of many countries at a moment when Western culture believed itself to be on the brink of enormous change. Being ultramodern in the 1890s meant moving away from classical standards of beauty to create a sophisticated blend of nature and artifice. It also meant finding fresh inspiration in art history (Gothic architectural ornament, the airy curlicues of rococo art), non-European cultures (flat patterning in Japanese woodcuts, whiplash curves in Islamic art), or native folk art traditions.

Authoritative and elegantly written essays by 22 specialists, illustrated with 507 sumptuous photographs, make Art Nouveau, 1890-1914 one of the finest art books in recent memory. Produced to accompany a major exhibition that opened at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and runs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., from October 8, 2000, through January 28, 2001, this volume is the first to illuminate the full range of art nouveau media and the complex connections--scientific, literary, mystical, mythological, psychological, industrial, nationalistic--that allowed it to take root in Europe and the U.S.

The famous art nouveau figures are all represented, of course: architects and designers Charles Rennie Macintosh, Victor Horta, Hector Guimard, Josef Hoffmann, Antonio Gaudí; art glass wizards Louis Comfort Tiffany and Émile Gallé; illustrators Aubrey Beardsley and Alphonse Mucha. But part of the pleasure of this book consists in discovering exquisite or bizarre pieces by lesser-known designers empowered by the dark sensuality of a style that perversely borrowed from nature to celebrate the nervous energy of urban culture. --Cathy Curtis --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Paul Greenhalgh is President of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. He was previously Head of Research at the V&A. In April 2000 he curated the exhibition Art Nouveau 1890-1914 at the V&A, and later in Washington and Tokyo. His publications include Ephemeral Values (1988), Modernism in Design (1990), and Quotation and Sources from Design and the Decorative Arts 1800 - 1900 (1993).

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: V&a Publications (July 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851772979
• ISBN-13: 978-1851772971
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FEAST FOR THE EYES, MIND, AND SOUL!, November 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Art Nouveau, 1890-1914 (Hardcover)

This splendid book, edited by Paul Greenhalgh, is one of the most beautiful art books I have ever seen. When I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last spring, I was delighted to find that they were in the midst of a wonderful Art Nouveau exhibition, the same exhibition that is now at the National Museum in Washington, D.C. This book was published along with the exhibit, and it contains a treasure trove of examples of the distinctive Art Nouveau style and its many influences. Along with the elegant reproductions (many in exquisite color) there is a superbly written and informative text which discusses the different periods and styles. It covers Art Nouveau designs in furniture, jewelry, posters, architecture, ceramics, among many other areas. This book is a joy to look at -- whether you just flip through the beautifully displayed pictures or sit down at leisure to read the text while sipping a cup of tea. Art lovers everywhere -- especially those who love Art Nouveau --MUST get this book! You will NOT be sorry!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An encyclopedic presentation of beauty and history, December 26, 2001

By 

Jack Kirven (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art Nouveau, 1890-1914 (Hardcover)

this book is one of the most valuable in my personal library -- not only are the pictures gorgeous, but the text provides historical context and thus enriches the entire presentation. i enthusiastically looked at every page, and was flabbergasted by some of the objets d'art. the things people can dream of! the things they can make from raw materials... it's simply amazing, especially lalique's jewelry. one of the aspects of this book that i most admire is it's equal treatment of different forms: architecture, graphic design, jewelry, furniture, visual media, sculpture, and urban planning are all addressed. i wish it had spoken more about the music, poetry, and dance of the time, but that's not a complaint. the book is huge, but well organized into regional sections (france, spain, usa, etc) and gives biographical info about the artists as well. i am going to go back to europe again when i can, specifically to see the homes photographed in this amazing anthology. given the size and the amount of info, as well as the quality of the photographs, the price for this book is unbeatable. buy this collection -- you won't regret it at all! note: this book would be particularly useful to those interested in art history, nature in art, photography, and movement in art (note that loie fuller is a heavy influence on the form in france, and thus students of choreography/dance history should be familiar with this period in art)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the pictures are color!!!!, December 9, 2004

By 

Gagewyn (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art Nouveau, 1890-1914 (Hardcover)

This is a rare gem among art histories: A well researched book that an average person will enjoy as much as a researcher. What makes this book stand out from other books about art nouveau is how thorough it is (It is phone book thick) and the quantity and quality of the pictures. All the reproductions of art in this book are color, with the obvious exception of older photographs of artists and occasionally architecture or artifacts that no longer exist except in black and white pictures.

The book takes the theory that art nouveau was part of a social response to industrialization. So the art is defined as art that used a return to nature or investigation into magic to try to make sense of the world. Art works are organized by what materials they were created from (jewelry, ceramics, textile, commercial advertising prints). Paintings and some examples of the other medias are grouped by country with a historical write on art nouveau in that geographical region.

This book is great. The high quality color reproductions and so many of them are worth looking through again and again. If you are at all into art nouveau then you are likely to love this book. Libraries should make this available because of the wonderful high quality color reproductions.