 |
|
Fantastic "Greetings from New York", postmarked 1907. This one shows
views of the St. Paul Building on Broadway, the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Building and New and Old Parkhurst Churches, Governor's
Island, the Times Building at Broadway and 42nd at night, plus a
great view of a big steamer with a small sailboat. What makes this
so great are all the background details and flourishes, especially
the water lilies, and the coloring is superb. |
 |
|
Wonderful "Greetings from New York". Bold and brash art nouveau
card, postmarked 1910. Love the star and its rays, plus nice flower
detail, and big steamship. Shows views of the Times Building at
Broadway and 42nd Street, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and Macy's
Department Store and Herald Square. Terrific colors and details! |
 |
|
Another wonderful art nouveau "Greetings from New York". Terrific
turn-of-the-century multiple view of New York City: City Investing
Building, Flatiron Building, and the Singer Building (Highest
Building in the World). Lots of fun. Postmark 1908. |
 |
|
Wonderful art nouveau "Greetings from New York". Turn of the century
multiple views of New York City: Riverside Drive, Vine Arch Bridge,
Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, Temple Beth El. This and
following views make excellent companion pieces. For similar Art
Nouveau multi-views, see Philadelphia, Boston, and Providence. See
also "East Coast Art Nouveau" in our "Things" category. |
|
Art Nouveau has made itself know and present
from 1880s to 1910s. This movement walked under the flag of an art that
would break all connections to classical times, and bring down the
barriers between the fine arts and applied arts. Art Nouveau was more
than a mere style. It was a way of thinking about modern society and new
production methods. It was an attempt to redefine the meaning and nature
of the work of art. From that time on, it was the duty of art not to
overlook any everyday object, no matter how utilitarian it might be.
This approach was considered completely new and revolutionary, thus the
New Art - Art Nouveau name.
An artist should work on everything from architecture to furniture
design so that art would become a part of everyday life. By making
beauty and harmony a part of everyday life, artists make people's lives
better. This approach has been represented in painting, architecture,
furniture, glassware, graphic design, jewelry, pottery, metalwork, and
textiles and sculpture. Advertising posters were welcomed into art, and
fence has been proclaimed a suitable exhibition place for this new art.
This was a 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).
Because of typical flat, decorative patterns used in all art forms, Art
Nouveau obtained a nickname 'the noodle style' in French, 'Le style
nouilles'. Visual standards of the Art Nouveau style are flat,
decorative patterns, intertwined organic forms of stems or flowers. Art
Nouveau emphasized handcrafting as opposed to machine manufacturing, the
use of new materials. Although curving lines characterize Art Nouveau,
right-angled forms are also typical, especially as the style was
practiced in Scotland and in Austria. Typical for this style was
artistic application of modern industrial techniques and modern
materials (unmasked iron in architecture for example). Principal
subjects are lavish birds and flowers, insects and polyformic femme
fatale. Abstract lines and shapes are used widely as a filling for
recognizable subject matter. Purposeful elimination of three-dimensions
is often applied through reduced shading. Art Nouveau artifacts are
beautiful objects of art, but not necessarily very functional.
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); stile Liberty, after British Art Nouveau
designer Arthur Lasenby Liberty; in Spain as Modernisme; in Austria as
Sezessionstil (Vienna Secession); and in Germany as Jugendstil.
Art Nouveau had its deepest influence on a variety of art and design
movements that continued to explore integrated design, including De
Stijl, a Dutch design movement in the 1920s, and the German Bauhaus
school in the 1920s and 1930s.
|
