Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau – Alfred Wagon and Louis Magorelle

Art Nouveau- is an international philosophy and style of art.  It’s an architecture and applied art also a decorative art.  It was most popular during the 1890-1910. The name Art Nouveau comes from the French language, when translated to English it translates ”new art”. It is considered as a total art style, embracing architecture, graphic art, interior design and most decorative arts. The philosophy of the style states, art should be a way of life. Although Art Nouveau was replaced by the 20^th-century Modernist styles it is considered as an important stage between the eclectic historic revival styles of the 19^th century and Modernism.

A well known carpenter by the name of Louis Majorelle used Art Nouveau in his works. Born in Toul, France to a furniture and ceramics merchant, he spent is free time in his father’s workshop. This is where he developed his own artistic sense. Winning the Grand Prize at the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904. In an age when France was humiliated by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the luxury production in other countries was threating the cultural hegemony the French saw as their birthright. Using  a new form of a vocabulary of natural forms and the lines of exceptional craftsmanship with the new art style was celebrated in the expedition of 1900 by the public and critics, who saw Majorelle as a cherished link between the grandeur of the 18^th Century and the modern age. Majorelle and his team laboured and planned for years on this elaborate display, which not only had shown the new artistic style, but also demonstrated the highest level of craftsmanship and construction. Villa Majorelle represents the true beauty of the Art Nouveau style.

References:

"Art Nouveau". Wikipedia. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 May 2016.

"Louis Majorelle - Decorative Artists - Artist Biographies - Macklowe Gallery". Macklowegallery.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 May 2016.

Upload.wikimedia.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 May 2016.