Painting in art nouveau style. Art Nouveau style in architecture, painting and interior design. How does Art Nouveau manifest itself in ornamentation, catering or decorations? Art Nouveau: flowers, fairies, curved lines and gems

This style should be considered truly French, although it appeared at the end of the 19th century in Belgium, and not just in France. But, for some reason, many people confuse it with modernism, although they are very different, and in some cases they are the complete opposite of each other. Art Nouveau is considered an ornamental style, sometimes called a “return to nature.” The symbolism of the style for furniture is that it has different patterns of curved shapes, often made in a floral direction. Japanese painting is also often used. In addition to furniture, the “new style” is used to decorate products made of stone, iron and even glass, and is also used for wallpaper and decorating mirrors.

The most important elements of this style, emphasizing the motives of France, are compositions symbolizing plants. The colors most often used are black, blue and green. It seems that they are difficult to combine, but in fact, everything looks quite harmonious. You can decorate windows and doors with floral and other ornaments, in which straight lines are rejected, and smooth, dancing ones, which are imbued with the energy and power of plants, prevail. You can use almond or white flowers, which emphasize coziness and comfort.
A few words about the interior, which suits the style well. Tablecloths should be used in a large size so that they reach the floor. Curtains and curtains should be draped so that they cover part of the walls. The symbol of this style can be an ordinary wardrobe, but only one built into the wall. Instead of a regular mirror, it is recommended to install stained glass with flower patterns on it. The patterns on the floor can be varied, but only in such a way that they are combined into a single composition. An asymmetrical shape of doorways is best suited here.
In this style, you can decorate not only the bedroom or living room, but also the bathroom and kitchen. It is best to order furniture, not forgetting to specify that rounded and front shapes are needed. So, calmly start changing the style in your home or apartment. After all, if not you, then who can create a pleasant atmosphere, coziness and comfort for you?

If you are delighted by the exotic landscapes of Gauguin and the magical portraits of Vrubel, the languid beauties of Alphonse Mucha and the lines of Gaudi’s buildings flowing like the jets of a waterfall, then you are a fan of the charming aesthetics of Art Nouveau (Art Nouveau).

The history of Art Nouveau: from Paris - everywhere

The style appeared in 1895 in a Parisian gallery, where in one of the departments the works of gifted glass masters were exhibited - stained glass windows and lamps. Art nouveau, without thinking twice, the owner of the store called this section - new art.

Actually, the style has many names: in Russia it is known as Art Nouveau, among the Germans it is Art Nouveau, among the people of Spain it is Liberty, and in the USA it is associated with the career of Louis Tiffany, a jeweler and designer, the “father” of the hitherto famous brand.

The fashion trend conquered the West and the East literally in a matter of years: one might say that the 20th century set foot on Earth, dressed in the magnificent “outfits” of Art Nouveau. Before the First World War, the curls and vignettes characteristic of the style adorned the new century.

Art Nouveau: characteristic features of the style

• Wavy lines, intricate outlines;
• Ornament in the form of climbing plants, shells, peacock feathers;
• Asymmetry of shapes;
• Arches and openings;
• Stained glass;
• Stairs.

Whimsically curved, fanciful lines are the main principle of art nouveau in the interior. In an intricate weave - walls and arches, cornices and curtains, headboards and cabinet doors. Thanks to such “lace”, even heavy, fundamental furniture seems airy, like a dream...

Floral ornaments (roses, vines, irises, carved leaves, bunches of grapes), as well as a pattern in the form of dragonflies and peacocks are also a prerequisite. Intricate, filigree painting reigns on the walls, shows through in the railings, and adorns the furniture and curtains.

Modernists considered geometric figures to be the creation of man, praising asymmetry, the true brainchild of Nature. Until now, designers are unanimous: at least something in a room created according to the canons of Art Nouveau must be curved, asymmetrical - an opening or arch, the back of a sofa or dressing table.

Another favorite - arched shape: it is attached to doors and windows, cabinets and fireplaces...

Rooms, as well as parts of rooms, should create the unity of space, “flowing” into each other - for a similar effect, openings and half-openings, decorated with complex, capricious decoration, are used.

Do you remember where the style began?
From the stained glass industry, therefore colored glass and mosaic glass paintings are another specificity of Art Nouveau.

Well, and stairs, of course. At the dawn of the twentieth century, emphasis was placed on them, carefully emphasizing the smoothness, roundness of the form, and the ornateness of the railings. The Art Nouveau staircase is a separate work of art: it is graceful and surprisingly openwork, as if leading to heaven.

Art nouveau in the interior: finishing and materials

• Wood with exquisite texture
• Stone and stone tiles
• Forged Products
• Colored glass
• Expensive fabrics (brocade, velvet, others)

Art Nouveau is synonymous with scope and chic, budget options, alas, this luxury style does not provide.

Wood is used not only for parquet - it is used to sheathe walls and create openings. Stone tiles can be used in the kitchen, as well as in the bathroom, and it is welcome when the wooden floor “flows” into the stone one.

The lower and upper floors are connected as smoothly as possible; the staircase is most often made slightly curved, like the stem of a flower.

You absolutely cannot do without metal: forged parts can be stair railings, fireplace grates, and fittings.

The curvilinearity of openings and windows can be achieved by “playing” with stucco or, finally, with drywall. Remember: in a room, if it lays claim to Art Nouveau laurels, there should be no sharp corners or sharp, straight lines.

Wherever the rays fall, it is advisable to install stained glass or simply colored glass: these can be bay windows, partition elements and even cabinet doors.

Fabrics are chosen either plain or with a pattern inherent in the style: roses, water lilies, butterflies, dragonflies, parrots... Everything that, as modernists believed, symbolizes the unity of man and Nature.

Wooden secretaries, sideboards, and buffets with sophisticated shapes are the “face” of the concept. However, some objects may be made of glass, as well as bent, ductile metal. The main rule: Art Nouveau furniture looks as if frozen in a dance.

As for fabrics, curtains can be given an asymmetrical look. It’s great if the curtains create the illusion of glass and seem to consist of many shards.

Shades, lighting, details

Muted, natural ones dominate: chocolate, olive, terracotta, sand, gray with a lilac or pink tint. However, bright flashes are acceptable - multi-color panels, stained glass, mosaics.

Like any retro style, art nouveau does not combine with halogens and LEDs. Lighting should be intimate, sincere: its sources are matte shades, lampshades, sophisticated sconces, floor lamps in the form of lilies of the valley and swan necks and, of course, the legendary Tiffany lamps with colorful caps.

Art Nouveau is such a picturesque technique that, in essence, it does not require many third-party details. When decorating a house that is already decorated with elements that are contained, in fact, in the style, it is important not to overdo it with the little things.
Large colored glass vases, antique clocks, and a painting by a true master will suitably fit into the decoration. Just a few vintage nuances (an aged photo or a candlestick) will highlight the history of the style and its origins.

Art Nouveau is the choice of extraordinary, self-confident and even daring people, whose achievements are obvious and whose taste is impeccable.

Interior design in art nouveau style - photo

; perhaps the last unified artistic style in European and American art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The time of its formation was the 1890s, when artists made an attempt to break with those artistic principles that seemed to them exhausted and stereotypical. Painters and sculptors rejected the principle of imitating nature, architects and designers condemned copying old styles. They strove for stylistic unity: so that the paintings and tapestries adorning the walls matched the furniture, glassware, cutlery, as well as clothing, jewelry and, in general, everything that was in the space they designed. The main features of the style were figurative associativity, sophisticated symbolism of forms and meanings, emphasized decorativeness and two-dimensionality of the image, running of winding flexible lines, and planar patterns. It did not matter whether such linear decoration was intended for a book cover or for the facade of a building.

The sources of Art Nouveau are varied, including the Rococo style, Celtic art of Ireland and Scotland, late, “flaming” Gothic, as well as Javanese batiks, Etruscan vase painting and especially Japanese woodcuts. However, the immediate forerunner of the artistic ideas that would be developed by the Art Nouveau masters was the Arts and Crafts Movement, which arose in England in the 1880s. The Art Nouveau style acquired an international status and quickly spread throughout Europe and both Americas.

In Great Britain, features characteristic of the new style appeared in book design from the early 1880s. One of the most famous Art Nouveau graphic artists was Aubrey Beardsley, his eccentric drawings not so much illustrated specific episodes of a literary work, but served as a kind of commentary on them, the content of which went far beyond the text.

One of the leading exponents of Art Nouveau in Britain was C. R. Mackintosh, a Scottish architect and designer who produced a variety of artistic work - from architectural designs to wallpaper designs and silverware. Mackintosh's work had a huge influence on the development of European architecture and art.

In France, where the term "Art Nouveau" originated, this style was closely associated with symbolism in poetry and painting. Paul Gauguin and the artists of his circle stood at the origins of French Art Nouveau. The most famous master of Art Nouveau in France was Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. In his posters and lithographs, he paid tribute to the arabesque-like graphic pattern characteristic of Art Nouveau, allowing the lines to flow with ease and energy. An important role in the development of Art Nouveau in France was played by the architect Hector Guimard (1867–1942), who decorated the entrances of Paris metro stations with cast-iron gratings with ornaments of stylized orchids, the jeweler Rene and the glass and furniture artist Emile Galle (1846–1904). A significant place in Art Nouveau art belongs to the famous Belgian architects Henri van de Velde (1863–1957) and Victor Horta (1861–1947); Brussels was the center for the early development of this style. Art Nouveau also had many followers in Germany, where it received the name “Jugendstil”. In Spain, the architect Antonio Gaudi created perhaps the most individual and original version of Art Nouveau.

In the United States, the architect Louis Sullivan (1856–1924) used Art Nouveau patterns to decorate the facades of buildings he designed. The leading exponent of Art Nouveau was Louis Comfort Tiffany, a painter and glass artist. He invented a unique glass with a rainbow tint, which he called favrile and used in the manufacture of his famous vases and flower-shaped lamps.

The Art Nouveau style reached its highest point of development at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, but was then soon forgotten - leading architects now strived for simplicity and clarity of form and showed more interest in machine technology than in handmade work. The rich decor of the 1890s gave way to the geometric, unadorned surfaces of the buildings of the early 20th century. Art Nouveau fell out of fashion and was only rediscovered fifty years later. In Russia, this style is called modern, in Austria – secession, in Italy – liberty.

The Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles are often confused with each other, mixing their dissimilar elements or even calling them one and the same. Most often now we come across eclectic interiors that evoke mixed feelings - everything seems to be following the canons of Art Nouveau, but then suddenly an Art Deco element will appear somewhere. Meanwhile, these styles have very significant differences and even appeared in different periods of time.

The Art Nouveau style arose at the end of the 19th century and was an offshoot of Art Nouveau; we can say that it never became an independent style, which is perhaps why they still like to combine it with something to this day.

The Art Deco style was formed after a large-scale Parisian exhibition in 1925, at which various objects of the latest art were presented. Later it became a symbol of celebration and freedom, and was especially loved by young people who were trying to escape from the painful thoughts of the post-war period.

The main difference between these two styles is the overall geometricity or smoothness of shapes. Art Deco was characterized by sharp, broken lines and emphatic symmetry, thus reflecting the general mood of the early 20th century, when people were still within the strict boundaries of decency, but at the same time actively trying to rebel within them. Art Nouveau, on the contrary, suggests curved, somewhat “fluid” lines, since this style tended to be close to nature. A characteristic pattern of the Art Nouveau style is considered to be the so-called “scourge blow”, invented by the artist Hermann Obrist. In Art Deco, a similar trademark can be called Sunburst - sun rays, which most often appear in a decorative element.

Decorative elements are the very detail through which you understand the whole essence of a particular style, and in this case they are also a key element of their heterogeneity. The fluidity of forms of the Art Nouveau style extends everywhere, so it is characterized by the depiction of whimsical, slightly fairy-tale scenes in the form of paintings on the walls, as, for example, in the works of Alphonse Mucha.

In Art Deco, everything is more realistic and restrained, as well as angular - the subjects are not fantasy-like, in addition, the models look much more modern and somewhat boyish.

The thing is that at the beginning of the last century, sports became popular, so an athletic figure was welcomed, both for men and women. This trend was visible in all spheres of life, so Art Deco interiors were decorated with figurines of athletic women. Art Nouveau and here he remained committed to the natural style.

As for the color palette, Art Deco is characterized by restraint and even monochrome in color, but at the same time, an abundance of shine. For these purposes, chrome-plated furniture elements, mirrors, and crystal were used. An interior in this style has always suggested a festive atmosphere, during which you can forget about everything.

Art Nouveau, with its softness and mystery, implies the same soft, natural colors - brown, green, beige. Also characteristic is the abundance of all kinds of intertwined elements and intricate furniture. Often in Art Nouveau interiors there are stained glass windows that help create natural and mysterious halftones. The atmosphere in an interior of this style is always soft and peaceful.

In general, we can say that the Art Deco style is more compatible with our modern reality, due to its brightness and characteristic dynamics. Therefore, it is perfect for residents of a metropolis who are always in a hurry somewhere and prefer to spend even their moments of rest actively. But if you want to create your own little enchanted forest in the city, give preference to the Art Nouveau style, in the interior of which you can relax and dream.

Are there any plans to transform the apartment and change the usual design? Does your soul want something interesting, fresh, and original? And you don't know where to start? In this case, it is worth considering the style that is preferable.

If you like naturalness and naturalness, as well as smooth lines in the design, then you should opt for art nouveau.

Art Nouveau style, as you can see today, is being born anew.

Most ordinary people believe that modern modern and art nouveau are one style with a different name, but this is not true, because the second has a number of differences compared to the first.

Interior decoration

Symbols of style are flowers such as lily, cyclamen, bell and algae. All ornaments, both animal and plant, are depicted flat.

When decorating your apartment, you should focus on some features inherent in the style. So, the concept of a modern interior in this style is all the characteristics of the country, and therefore the style is manifested mainly in accents.

Color palette

It is worth choosing a range of colors in which all the shades characteristic of the element “water” predominate:

• Green is the main color, and all its shades are used - such as blue, snow-white, silver, gold, which imitate the shine of water in the sun.
• Complementary color – lilac with silver, brown, grayish, soft pink.

Lines and shapes

Waves of surface decor, soft and most importantly smooth lines, slightly curved - all this flows into structural elements on the walls and ceiling.

The abundance of ornaments is reflected in the textured wallpaper and also in the fabrics used.

Walls are often decorated with wood panels, fabric tapestries, and paintings. The design of the surfaces plays on the so-called natural theme. The Art Nouveau style in the interior involves the use of metal structures that look like flower thickets.

Ceilings should be of an unusual shape - a combination of suspended ceilings with plasterboard structures with plaster borders and stucco is often found.

Materials, windows

The trend tends to ensure that the windows are designed in a very specific way - the glass is specially processed, due to which the effect of the so-called shimmering ice is achieved. Round mirrors and stained glass windows are often used.

The Art Nouveau style in the interior involves the use of fabrics made from natural materials, with very rich colors, metal elements, stone and glass. Each of the materials is in harmony with the other.

Accessories, furniture

Each piece of furniture is made of wood, with exquisite handmade carvings and curved legs - no corners in the usual sense - nothing sharp. If there is an angle, then it is smooth. The style gravitates towards streamlined shapes. Shelves and cabinets - everything should be decorated with bronze inserts.

In numerous photos of the Art Nouveau style on the Internet, you can see that the style goes well with other styles.

As an example, all surfaces can be decorated in art nouveau, but at the same time the room will contain modern household appliances and electronics.

The style appeals to those who love nature and naturalness, naturalness in everything. Also, the style is often chosen by young families, young girls who are not yet “connected” by family ties. In a modern interpretation, this style becomes the hallmark of the apartment, demonstrating the taste of the owner and all his preferences.

If you decide to decorate your interior in the Art Nouveau style, photos on the Internet will guide you on the right path, allowing you to choose the design option that you like best.

Photo of Art Nouveau style in the interior