Art Nouveau

Gustav Klimt, Expectation, 1893

Art Nouveau is a highly decorative art style that developed in the 1880s and continued to be popular until World War 1. Curves, floral patterns and assymetrical lines distinguish the style. Art Nouveau made its mark for the most part in interior decor, glasswork and jewelry. The style drew ornate details from Celtic and Oriental art. The themes of Art Nouveau were mostly symbolic of eroticism and fertility. The movement was cut short at the break of the First World War, but was revived in many ways in a similar style, Art Deco, following the war.

Many artists and decorators from around the globe favored the ornate and intricate style of Art Nouveau. American Louis Comfort Tiffany began designing his collections in this period. René Lalique began jewelry design during the Art Nouveau period and continued later in life to make his glassware in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Antonio-Gaudí made his mark in architecture in Spain at this time. Art Nouveau also included England's illustrator Audrey Beardsley and Austrian painter Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918).

Caption: In Klimt's Expectation there are predominant features of the Art Nouveau style. The repetitious patterns, ornate curving lines and flowers that symbolise fertility and abundance.