Art Nouveau

Note: This lens was written by my fiancee.

 
Art Nouveau and Art Deco are in fact polar opposites of one another, which is amusing, because the two are often used interchangeably by confused people.  The Art Nouveau style actually preceeded Art Deco.  Art Nouveau was characterised by flowing, organic forms that were often depicted by nature and floral motifs. 

The movement itself focused on beauty and embellishment.  Rather than completely negating machinery, like the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau used many similar materials: metals, glass, etc.  Art Deco and its conservative minimalism only emerged after the process to create Art Nouveau pieces became too prohibitive.

Many famous and well-sought after antiques and designers emerged from this movement: Louis Comfort Tiffany, Renee Lalique, and MacKintosh, to name a few.  There are also several prominent architects: Anthony Gaudi, Victor Horta, and others.  I have tried to compile some information as well as some good examples of their work to truly give you a sense of the beauty that is Art Nouveau.