Resources: Art Nouveau Style

The Art Nouveau movement was popular from around 1890 to 1910. According to Wikipedia, the English-speaking countries used the French term for this style, but it went by other names in other countries. Says Wikipedia:

"A reaction to academic art of the nineteenth-century, it was inspired by natural forms and structures, not only in flowers and plants but also in curved lines. Architects tried to harmonize with the natural environment. Art nouveau is considered a 'total' style, embracing architecture, graphic art, interior design, and most of the decorative arts, including jewelry, furniture, textiles, household silver and other utensils and lighting, as well as the fine arts. According to the philosophy of the style, art should be a way of life."

I will add a few of my own observations: Art Nouveau Style is usually highly decorated, for instance, as in the fonts heading this page. Subject matter was often whimsical, for instance creatures that were hybrid plant/animal. Interesting, subtle and often unusual colors were employed, such as mustard, earthy colors, olive, rust, and mixed blues, but not always. Art Nouveau embraced a much wider range of style than one might think, and the breadth of those styles will be demonstrated by the sources on this website, as I own a great deal of books related to this subject. Dover Publications carries a vast inventory of Art Nouveau material. Alphonse Mucha, Aubrey Beardsley, and Louis Comfort Tiffany are three well-known artists of this style. Arnold Lyongrün is perhaps less known, but certainly a master. For more information about Art Nouveau Style, see the Wikipedia article linked above. And as always, you may mouse over any image for source information.