Art Nouveau, Art Deco

Art Nouveau was a movement in architecture that was highly popular in major European cities as well as the United States between 1890 and 1914 (Craven 1). Art Nouveau was a reaction in design against classical approaches that were formal in nature. Instead, the Art Nouveau ethic embraced the idea that "the greatest beauty could be found in nature" (Craven 1). If Art Nouveau was a reaction against the machine age and mechanized approaches to design, the Art Deco movement in architecture is symbolic of the machine age. Art Deco was also an international design movement in architecture, lasting from 1925 until 1939 (Art Deco 1).

The designs of Art Nouveau often mimicked nature, with soft, sinuous lines and curved shapes that often resembled the flow of water. The designs of Art Deco are more geometric in shape, with angular or jagged lines and other more easily manufactured designs. Materials used in the two design styles also differ, with Art Nouveau using rich materials like marble, stained glass, and other fine materials in design like the use of mosaic. Comparatively, Art Deco relied on materials more associated with manufacturing, from aluminum and steel to concrete and terra cotta. Art Nouveau design was influenced by nature, perhaps most clearly seen in the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright in the United States, whose designs often incorporated actual elements of nature. Art Deco, in contrast, was influenced by machine pr

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tyle of architecture. As one architectural critic describes the Hotel Tassel, "[Horta] incorporates interior iron structure with curvilinear botanical forms, known as 'biomorphic whiplash,' creating the first Art Nouveau architecture" (Victor 2). The Hotel Tassel also shows how Art Nouveau architects attempted to have their structures fit in with the surroundings. In the Hotel Tassel, "Ornate and elaborate designs and natural lighting were concealed behind a stone fa�ade to harmonize the building with the more rigid houses next door" (Victor 2). Frank Lloyd Wright's designs aimed at blending the buildings in with the natural landscape. One of Victor Horta's Art Nouveau designs that most shows the elaborate and decorative nature of the style can be seen in Horta's own Maison & Atelier (Appendix Two). From curvilinear and sinuous shapes to rich materials and naturally inspired lighting, the building is one of four town houses Horta designed in Brussels. The four buildings are recognized by UNESCO as "representing the higher expression of the influential Art Nouveau style in art and architecture" (Art Nouveau 1). The building is so associated with the Art Nouveau style that is has been converted to the Victor Horta M

Category: Arts - A