Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau – New Arts are believed to stem from the influence of the British Arts and Crafts movement in 1880 and the Japanese art during 1880 and the 1890s. The style was also called "Jugendstil" in Germany or "Sezessionstil" in Austria, among other nation-specific denominations. Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (1851–1942), an English architect and designer, designed the first piece of this style in his book jacket for the 1883 volume "Wren's City Churches". However, the term "Art Nouveau" became standard after Siegfried Bing (1850–1905) named his gallery L' Art Nouveau in Paris, France.
Art Nouveau is distinctive due to its long, curvy line, often in the form of natural objects such as flowers, petals, vines, and so forth. The line is elegant and gives off a whip impression. In addition, these lines serve as a skeleton to display and elevate the details in the Art Nouveau style. The Art Nouveau style is not only found in architecture but also in the house's furniture, such as glassware and ceramic tiles. As Art Nouveau became widely known in European countries (1890– 1910) (Britannica 2021) while France was colonizing Vietnam (1887– 1954), we can see many buildings in Saigon have Art Nouveau-inspired details (mostly handrails).

References:
Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2021. "Art Nouveau." Last modified March 14, 2021 (15 May 2022).
The Art Story. n.d. "Art Nouveau." Last modified n/a (16 May 2022).

Nguyen Hai An