Art Nouveau was born in Brussels in 1893 when Victor Horta introduced iron and cast iron into middle-class houses. These industrial materials allowed him to open up interior spaces to a greater extent, enabling air and light to circulate more freely. Horta not only used metals for their strength but also took advantage of their flexibility, incorporating abstract curves as decorative elements in his designs.
This motif, which has become extremely famous, is now known as the “coup de fouet.” Its diverse compositions form the central decorative theme -seen in murals and mosaics- of the Brussels architect’s work. In this way, he created a rich universe where the flowing line conveys vitality and the force of growth, two powerful symbols of the plant world.
In fact, nature was one of the fundamental sources of the Art Nouveau movement. Theorists such as Eugène Grasset, in his book La plante et ses applications ornementales, taught readers how to make logical use of motifs borrowed from nature.
In the second half of the 19th century, the rediscovery of Japanese art introduced a new perspective: one that encouraged marveling at the beauty of a wave, the patterns on a kimono, or the curve of a courtesan’s neck. The fluidity of the lines, the asymmetrical compositions lacking geometric perspective, and the subtle gradations of color all revitalized the ornamental vocabulary, liberating it from the historicism of the great “carnival of styles” that prevailed throughout much of the 19th century.
The languid, mysterious image of women that haunted the Pre-Raphaelites became a decorative theme in Art Nouveau. Initially used in advertising (such as posters by Mucha), this imagery eventually found its way into architecture and the decorative arts, much like plants and abstract lines.
Art Nouveau had two faces: one that suited new lifestyles (lighting, hygiene, transportation) and another that sought to embellish everyday life. Artists trained in the Beaux-Arts tradition devoted themselves to the applied arts. The creators of Art Nouveau debated whether the artisanal production method should continue or if it was necessary to provide industry with high-quality models to elevate the aesthetic standards of mass production.
The handicrafts created by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement were expensive and accessible only to the wealthy. In Weimar and Darmstadt, Art Nouveau designers such as Henry van de Velde and Josef-Maria Olbrich were commissioned to boost local industries and enhance the prosperity of the states that employed them.
Art Nouveau spread rapidly across Europe, thanks to art magazines illustrated with photographs and international exhibitions. Depending on the country, it became known as Modernisme in Catalonia, Jugendstil in Germany, Liberty in Italy, or Secession in Vienna and Prague. Art Nouveau developed more extensively in countries or regions that claimed greater cultural autonomy, such as Catalonia, the Czech Republic, and Finland, or that experienced both economic prosperity and a departure from the stylistic dictates of a capital (e.g., Glasgow or Nancy).
Art Nouveau was adopted throughout Europe to varying degrees, as the style coexisted with forms inherited from the past. It was most often dominant in new districts built in response to the significant increase in urban populations at the end of the 19th century (e.g., in Riga or in Barcelona). The popularity of Art Nouveau waned from 1906 onwards, disappearing almost completely during the First World War.
In Vienna, the Ateliers d’Art Viennois were resolutely committed to high-quality craftsmanship, believing it was time for the bourgeoisie to play its part in patronizing the arts.
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Bruxelles Urbanisme et Patrimoine
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