elegant art

The Art Nouveau is a style that encompasses many forms of art like painting, glassware, furniture and architecture. Popular during the late nineteenth century till World War I, it has influenced the art world since. Art Nouveau literally means "new art". This type of art is characterized by the use of stylized organic forms and dramatic curves.

One of the earliest examples of Art Nouveau in paintings is Edvard Munchâs The Scream which shows a figure with an agonized expression against a curvy and flowing landscape.

With regard to architecture and design, Art Nouveau can be seen in many cities around the world, perhaps the most famous buildings (popular from the late 1890s to the early 1900s) are found in Paris. Two of the most famous architects of this style were Jules Lavirotte and Hector Guimard.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was also an important Art Nouveau architect and furniture designer who worked in Scotland and England. One of the most relevant interiors designed by Mackintosh was the Glasgow Tea Room in Buchanan Street. His work provides classic examples of Art Nouveau.

Glassware is another important area in which the Art Nouveau flourished, especially in the work of the Parisians, Lalique and Galle, and American designer Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany and others brought Art Nouveau to jewelry and various decorative arts, most notably in lamps and stained glass art.

The Art Nouveau also appeared in paintings, illustrations and advertisements of the time. Some of the representatives and best-known paintings famous artists of this style are Aubrey Beardsley, who famously illustrated Salome by Oscar Wilde; Le Morte d'Arthur Thomas Malory with the magazine "The Yellow Book".

The Art Nouveau was followed later in the 20th century by the emerging Art Deco style, which incorporates more geometric shapes and has a more streamlined look. However, the Art Nouveau still has some influence on certain decorative arts, especially in jewelry.