Art Nouveau, 1890-1914 (Hardcover)

by Paul Greenhalgh (Author)

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

Product Description
Art Nouveau exploded onto the art and design scene in the early 1890s and spread rapidly throughout the Western world. This lush volume-created to accompany a major museum exhibition that opened at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, before moving to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in October 2000-is the most beautiful, complete, and wide-ranging study ever published on this enormously popular and influential style.

A wealth of illustrations and rare period photographs showcase masterpieces in all mediums-from Tiffany lampshades, Mucha posters, Klimt paintings, and Lalique jewelry to architecture by Victor Horta, Antoni Gaud, and Louis Sullivan. The text, by 20 leading scholars, is a timely reappraisal of a style that flourished at the turn of the last century, in a world grappling with new ideas and rapid social change. Decadent yet popular, both loved and hated, Art Nouveau gave rise to the concept of an all-encompassing "lifestyle environment"-a total work of art designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience.

This season's most scintillating art book, Art Nouveau, 1890-1914 will be unrivaled for years to come.

PAUL GREENHALGH is head of research at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Former head of art history at Camberwell College of Art, he is the author of several books and articles, and a contributor to Abrams' A Grand Design: The Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum. He lives in London.

507 illustrations, 407 in full color, 496 pages, 81/4 x 93/4"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810942194
• ISBN-13: 978-0810942196
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #562,559 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 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 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!

19 of 19 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)

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)

7 of 7 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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.