In the following blog I will be sharing what the Art Nouveau movement is all about and how it began. I will also be showing a comparison between an example of a Historical artwork and a Contemporary artwork.

Art Nouveau which is French for “ New Art” began around the 1880’s and moved quickly across Europe and lasted up until 1990’s. Art Nouveau was found almost everywhere , it did not belong to a particular social group. One could find it at train stations, homes, department stores etc. IT was used in public places just as much as it was used in private areas. Art Nouveau emerged as Europe was going through a major change due to industrialization. This movement is characterized by its beautiful Floral ornaments, flowing lines, geometric forms and symbolic figures. A major influence in this period was from William Morris. Many of the styles and forms used by Morris have been used by Art Nouveau artists. Art Nouveau artists would combine all arts, and did not agree with the discrimination between fine arts and decorative arts. They believed in producing works that were both, attractive to the eye and functional. The artworks in this movement included furniture designs, silverware, graphic art, jewelry ,architecture, fashion and glassware. (Origins of Art Nouveau, 2020)

Monaco Monte Carlo Alphonse Mucha 1897

The image above is my example for a dated artwork from the Art Nouveau Movement.

Monaco Monte Carlo is a poster painted by one of the greatest and most remembered artists from the Art Nouveau Movements, Alphonse Mucha. Mucha created a number of paintings, posters, adverts , wallpapers and theatre sets which initially were given the name “ Mucha Style” but later became known as Art Nouveau (Alphonse Maria Mucha Biography | Life, Paintings, Influence on Art | alfonsmucha.org, n.d.). In the image above we see a beautiful healthy looking young woman wearing a long white flowy robe or dress. There is a halo created by a lush Floral pattern behind her head. He has used a combination of cool colours like dull light blue and grey and some warm colours like the orange, peach and red. The female figures dark hair with the bright flowers attracts the viewers’ attention as there is a strong contrast between the dark hair and bright red (Monaco Monte Carlo by Alphonse Mucha, 2020). She seems relaxed and in a state of tranquility which gives this artwork a sort of heavenly quality. It is also evident that she is somewhere outdoors which we can see from the bright blue behind her which is the water and there seem to be a valley or mountain in the top right corner of the image. Art nouveau artworks are majorly influenced by nature. (Monaco Monte Carlo by Alphonse Mucha, 2020)

llustration of Lady with Poppies Atelier Sommerland

The Image above is my example of a contemporary artwork from the Art Nouveau movement. It’s an Illustration of a woman created digitally using a program called Illustrator. The similarities is see in this artwork and Monaco Monte Carlo are that this artwork also has a female figure, wearing a long dress, there is also some flowers in the background and a halo behind the woman. The artist also used the same contrast with the dark hair and bright red flowers which attracts the viewers’ attention. There are however many contradictions that one can see between a typical Art Nouveau art piece and this. Here we see that female is dressed in a dark black dress instead of white or a light colour. The artist has also made use of mainly dull and extremely dark colours. The female figure seems more confident and empowered in this artwork which is evident by her holding her wine glass and raised eyebrow. She has also been given a much more defined figure and tight fitted dress, which gives her a more bold look. We can see that there is a halo behind the females head, however unlike Monaco Monte Carlo this artwork looks far from heavenly. In fact one could argue that the black clothes and use of dark colours almost represents a theme of death or something sinister.

Alfonsmucha.org. n.d. Alphonse Maria Mucha Biography | Life, Paintings, Influence On Art | Alfonsmucha.Org. [online] Available at: <https://www.alfonsmucha.org/biography.html> [Accessed 12 August 2020].

Alphonsemucha.org. 2020. Monaco Monte Carlo By Alphonse Mucha. [online] Available at: <http://www.alphonsemucha.org/monaco-monte-carlo/#:~:text=The%20style%20of%20the%20Monaco,by%20something%20in%20the%20sky.> [Accessed 12 August 2020].

Europeana.eu. 2020. Origins Of Art Nouveau. [online] Available at: <https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/art-nouveau-a-universal-style/origins-of-art-nouveau> [Accessed 12 August 2020].

The Shutterstock Blog. 2020. 5 Contemporary Illustrators Paying Homage To Art Nouveau - The Shutterstock Blog. [online] Available at: <https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/5-designers-referencing-art-nouveau> [Accessed 12 August 2020].

www.wikiart.org. 2020. Monaco Monte Carlo, 1897 - Alphonse Mucha - Wikiart.Org. [online] Available at: <https://www.wikiart.org/en/alphonse-mucha/monaco-monte-carlo-1897> [Accessed 12 August 2020].