Art Nouveau

Recognized by its organic, nature-inspired forms, the international style eventually christened art nouveau represented an endeavor to make everyday objects — and thus everyday life — beautiful. It arose from aesthetic movements in various European cities at the end of the 19th century and continuing through World War I. This substantive volume explores the movement's impact on architecture, interior design, furniture, gold and silversmiths' works, art ceramics and glass, and graphics and painting. It is illustrated with hundreds of color photographs, from a reproduction of Edvard Munch's Madonna to a double-page, 17 x 10-inch image of the magnificent greenhouse dome at the Royal Palace at Laeken. The book tours the various national schools of the style in Scotland, England, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Russia, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria and the United States, focusing on such major artists and designers as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, René Lalique, Antoni Gaudí, and Louis Comfort Tiffany. It also provides a glossary, capsule biographies of art nouveau designers, and a bibliography.