1. Fine art and graphics
The style was the first major artistic stylistic movement in which mass-produced
graphics (as opposed to traditional forms of printmaking,
which were not very important for the style) played a key role, often
techniques of colour printing developed relatively recently. A key
influence was the Paris-based Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, who
produced a lithographed poster, which appeared on 1 January 1895 in
the streets of Paris as an advertisement for the
play Gismonda by Victorien Sardou, featuring Sarah Bernhardt. It
popularised the new artistic style and its creator to the citizens of Paris.
Initially named Style Mucha, (Mucha Style), his style soon became
known as Art Nouveau.
Glass art
Glass art was a medium in which the style found tremendous expression.
Examples include the lamps and favrile glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany in New
York, and notably the vases, bowls and lighting in acid-etched and marquetry
cameo glass by both Émile Gallé and the Daum brothers in Nancy, France. In
addition, René Lalique started to produce early works in glass which were a
precursor to his work in the Art Deco style, for which he was to become
famed.
Sculpture and jewelry
Sculptors included Ladislav Šaloun, François-Raoul Larche and Charles van der
Stappen. Jewelry of the Art Nouveau period revitalized the jeweler's art, with nature as the
principal source of inspiration, complemented by new
levels of virtuosity in enameling and the introduction of
new materials, such as opals and semi-precious stones.
The widespread interest in Japanese art and the more
specialized enthusiasm for Japanese metalworking skills
fostered new themes and approaches to ornament. For
the previous two centuries, the emphasis in fine jewelry
had been on gemstones, in particular on the diamond,
and the jeweler or goldsmith had been concerned
principally with providing settings for their advantage.
With Art Nouveau, a different type of jewelry emerged,
motivated by the artist-designer rather than the jeweler as setter of precious stones.
Ceramics
Art Nouveau ceramics were also influenced by the work of
Japan. Artists called for a re-examination of vegetal and
zoological motifs, particularly as seen in Japanese art. The
development of high temperature (grand feu) porcelain with
crystallised and matte glazes, with or without other
decoration, is typical of these works. It was a period where
lost techniques were rediscovered, such as the oxblood
glaze, and entirely new methods were developed.
