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"QUANTUM SHOT" #733
Link - article by Avi Abrams
      
      

      Sensual forms, sublime innuendos, lush entanglements: the whole
        over-the-top emotional palette is present in these rare art
        masterpieces

      I have to admit, Art Nouveau is my favorite period in art history.
      Perhaps, because it also coincides with 1900s frenetically-paced
      industrial revolution (superimposing the grimy steamy machinery and
      belching factories with delicate and marvelous fairy curves). Blessed by
      works of such masters as Hector Guimard, Alphonse Mucha, Antoni Gaudi,
      this style seems to be ripe with foreboding of coming social upheavals and
      a general sense of anything-goes wild abandon that prevailed in
      Europe, and especially in France in the early 1900s.

      
      (Victor Laloux's Beaux-Arts clock in the Orsay Museum, Paris; photo by
        Ruy Barbosa Pinto)

      This article does not intend to educate about every variety of Art Nouveau
      (there are countless books and Wikipedia for that). But I'd like to
      highlight the most gorgeous examples, including the ones that so far
      escaped wide public attention. Remember, with every year we step further
      away from this incredibly creative era, and many soul-enriching art pieces
      may well be doomed to recede into the mists of time without their due
      share of appreciation. Well, no more. We here at Dark Roasted Blend are
      going to bring some of this awareness back, in many future installments of
      this series.

      Hector Guimard's "organic buildings" in Paris

      Everybody knows about Hector's contribution to Paris' Metropolitain: the
      flowery and somewhat alien-looking (especially in twilight) entrances all
      over Paris center -

      
      (image credit:
        Claude Rozier)

      These graceful organic forms may even bring to mind the former glory of
      the 1900 Paris Exposition, full of legendary structures, of which only a
      few photographs still exist today (more
      info). Here are some details of the entrance to Metro Abesses station:

      
      (images credit:
        Jean-Claude Fornerod,
        Jean-Pierre Dalbéra; a bottle via)

      His vision for furniture also embodied twisty organic forms, which may or
      may not be the ultimate in structural design (one simply can not get
      carried away with wild arched and curved designs, when most furniture
      requires solid function and support):

      
      (image via)

      Hector Guimard Cabinet, c. 1899; another fantastic light fixture; brass
      curves detail; and a rare treat - 1900 embroidered textile ornament:

      
      (images via
        2,
        3, 4,
        5)

      "The terrifying and edible beauty of Art Nouveau architecture."
        -- Salvador Dali

      One of the most beautiful crosses I have ever seen... plus details from
      his Metropolitain entrances and from an entrance to Castel Beranger, Rue
      Fontaine, 14:

      
      (images credit:
        Francis Mariani,
        Jean-Claude Fornerod,
        Jean-Pierre Dalbéra)

      Castel Beranger is a rare architectural treasure throughout: check
      out this Hippocampus creature, for example! -

      
      (images credit:
        Umberto Luparelli)

      The entrance is also a classic... allowing a delicate play of light:

      
      (images via
        1,
        2)

      Inside Castel Beranger, 14 Rue Fontaine:

      
      (image credit:
        postpanglossian)

      Another house by Hector is this fairy-tale cottage (yet another one is for
      sale here):

      

      "Hector Guimard, meanwhile, pushed the use of parts of trees, flowers,
      stems and roots to the pinnacle during the Golden Age of Art Nouveau.
      Guimard was said to have been committed to total interior design, with his
      talents extending from wrought iron entrance gates to wallpaper patterns
      and from fire places to side chats. He even used the style to craft papier
      mache ceiling decorations" Shown in the collage below is the light fixture
      and jewelry by Hector Guimard - and his daring architecture: La Maison
      Coillot, Lille; Ceramique Coilliot, Rue Fleurus; Villa Hemsy, Saint Cloud
      (Hauts de Seine), 1913:

      
      (images via
        1, 2,
        3)

      Beautiful Art Nouveau works by other artists

      Emile Galle's "Dragonfly" stool, 1898 and other furniture by "Ecole de
      Nancy":

      
      (image
        via)

      This spectacularly carved wine barrel is also work by Emile Galle:

      
      (images credit:
        Sven Cipido)

      Another example of Ecole de Nancy ("School of Nancy" style) is the
      beautiful door by Emile Andre Maison Huot, 1903 (left image) and by
      Jacques Gruber's "Stained Glass with Roses and Gulls", 1904:

      
      (images credit:
        Claudio Zieger,
        Art Knowledge)

      An entrance to Avenue Rapp building, by Jules Lavirotte (left) and Maison
      Saint-Cyr – 11 square Ambiorix, Brussels – Architect Gustave Strauven
      (1903):

      
      (images credit:
        Claude Covo-Farchi,
        Sokleine)

      Art Nouveau in Budapest, Hungary: the door to Bedo House and the Post
      Office Savings Bank, by architect Odon Lechner:

      
      (images credit:
        Phil Lewis)

      Here is a truly beautiful interior: Chez Maxim's in Paris -

      
      
      (images via
        1,
        2,
        3)

      On the left are the gorgeous mantel clock by Victor Horta and
      Candelabra by Henry van de Velde. Not really Art Nouveau, but
      carrying the same sense-of-wonder and audacity in vision is the "Creation
      of the World" sculpture at Versailles ("Pendule de la création du monde",
      1754):

      
      (images credit:
        Claude Rozier,
        Mamnic47)

      Some rare decorative table pieces and lamps:

      
      
      
      (images via
        Morgan Strickland Antiques,
        Anne Petersen)

      William Morris' fantasy-like patterns are well-known (right image), but on
      the left you see often overlooked work by Beardsley and Charles Rennie
      Mackintosh:

      

      Interesting work by
      Archibald Knox, and some modern Art Nouveau jewelry from
      Tadema Gallery:

      
      (images via
        1,
        2)

      The echoes of art nouveau can even be traced in the 1960s: here is a very
      stylish photo of Swedish actress Britt Ekland -

      

      Stay tunes for the next part in this series!

      CONTINUE TO "ARCHITECTURAL GENIUS OF ANTONI GAUDI" ->

      READ THE REST OF OUR "ART" CATEGORY ->




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YOUR COMMENTS::

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Casa de Lis (Lis' House)
Salamanca Spain.

http://tinyurl.com/6gu53g3

Regards.

___  
Blogger trailbee said...

This is one stunning post. I am awestruck. So much beauty and creativity! Thank you so very much. I love this art.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Next to many other contributions I'm convinced, that this very nice series has to be enriched with a chapter about Art Nouveau in Finland, especially Helsinki and Riga in Latvia. In Helsinki you can find Art Nouveau combined with finnish mythology in an impressive way. Look here for a medium beautiful example:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Luotsikatu_1_Katajanoka.jpg

___  
Blogger Missgeeksalot said...

Mexico City was embellished with one of Hector Guimard's Metro signs!... I had always wondered about it and now i now were it came from! hopefully i can share a pic with you n__n great post!

___  
Anonymous David said...

Art Nouveau, especially Guimard's is indeed awesome.
I almost regret kinda taking it for granted when I lived in Paris

___  
Anonymous Barbara said...

Art Nouveau is my favorite style as well. I can't wait to see future articles and photos.

___  

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