Art Nouveau is a movement in Western art and design, which reached its peak during the 1890s.

This art form encompassed all forms of art and design from architecture, furniture, graphic design, painting to glassware, textiles, metalwork pottery, jewelry and other ornamental objects.

Art Nouveau was in sharp contrast to the traditional separation of art into the distinct categories of fine art (painting and sculpture) and applied arts (ceramics, furniture, and other practical objects). It's an ornate style, characterized by long, flowing lines and wavelike contours often imitating forms in nature such as intertwined organic shapes: stems, vines or flowers and other similar styles.

It was an art form to contrast the industrial age. Handcrafting was emphasized as opposed to the ideal of machine manufacturing even though machines were never used to create art in that day. Some artists used the art nouveau form for graphic-design works such as book illustrations and posters.

"Art nouveau flourished in a number of European countries, many of which developed their own names for the style. Art nouveau was known in France as style Guimard, after French designer Hector Guimard; in Italy as the stile floreale (floral style) or stile Liberty, after British art nouveau designer Arthur Lasenby Liberty; in Spain as modernisme; in Austria as Sezessionstil (secession style); and in Germany as Jugendstil (youth style). These diverse names reflect the widespread adoption of the movement, which had centers in major cities all over Europe-Paris and Nancy in France; Darmstadt and Munich in Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Glasgow, Scotland; Barcelona, Spain; Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; and Budapest, Hungary." Excerpted from: "Art Nouveau," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

"The drawings of the English artist Aubrey Beardsley and the posters of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec of France are outstanding examples of art nouveau graphic design. Other leading figures in the art nouveau movement included Emile Galle of France and Louis Comfort Tiffany of the United States, both of whom created colorful glassware. Such architects as Antonio Gaudi of Spain and Victor Horta of Belgium also incorporated elements of the style in their work." Excerpted from: Alison McNeil Kettering, "Art nouveau," World Book Online Americas Edition, http://www.worldbookonline.com/wbol/wbPage/na/ar/co/032070, February 6, 2002.

In NYC, I supposed one could come across examples of art nouveau in the many antique shops found within the city.

The following are just some of many Art Nouveau artists:

Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, Aubrey Beardsley, Antonio Gaudi, Victor Horta , Henry van de Velde, Hector Guimard, Josef Hoffmann

To view more posters available for purchase of Art Nouveau artwork, simply click

Sources:

"Art Nouveau," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Alison McNeil Kettering, "Art nouveau," World Book Online Americas Edition, http://www.worldbookonline.com/wbol/wbPage/na/ar/co/032070, February 6, 2002.