The Art Nouveau (Art Nouveau) style began to spread around the world in 1890, replacing the Baroque style, and lasted until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
The new style has penetrated into architecture, furniture and interior design, fashion, and art. It covered almost all European countries, but was called differently in different countries:
- in France - “Art Nouveau”;
- in Russia – “modern” style;
- in Germany - “Jugendstil”;
- in Italy - floral style (“Liberty”);
- in Belgium - “orta”;
- and Spain – “Modernism”.
A characteristic feature of the new style was unity with nature. Everything created at this time resembled natural motifs.
Main features of Modernity
- Use of natural curved lines, fluid shapes.
- Repetition of natural smooth changes in plant patterns, visual merging of decorative elements with parts of structures.
- Unique, whimsical shapes.
- Particular decorativeness and sophistication of style.
- The collaboration of artists and architects to create one unifying style in architecture and design.
- Manual labor came first.
All these trends were reflected in the creation of jewelry values.
Art Nouveau jewelry depicted the female body in the form of flowers, butterflies, lizards, or dragonflies.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, technological progress began to develop rapidly. Telephones, electricity, and the first cars appear. Life is changing.
Art Nouveau jewelry became a real challenge to previously established traditions in jewelry fashion of that time.
First of all, the materials for making jewelry have changed. If earlier jewelry was an item that reflected the status of its owner, and was made of precious metals and stones, now they have become more sophisticated, reflecting the taste of designers. And for their production, chalcedony, tourmaline, opals, moonstone, and aquamarine began to be increasingly used.
Enamel became the favorite decoration technique in the Art Nouveau style.
What new did this style bring to jewelry?
- The artistic value of the jewelry comes first, not its price.
- For the first time, an image of a female body appeared on jewelry - smooth, languid and sensual.
- Plant motifs began to reflect the course of life - not only a blossoming flower, as before, but also all the intermediate stages of its existence, from bud to wilting.
The most famous jeweler in the Art Nouveau style is Rene Lalique. No less popular are the works of Georges Fouquet, Alphonse Mucha, Lucien Gaillard and others.
The Art Nouveau style in clothing also made its own adjustments. The Art Nouveau era is a time of delicate colors, smooth curved lines, femininity and sophistication. All this is reflected in women's dress.
Rigid corsets and lush frills on women's suits faded into the background, giving way to femininity, mystery and sophistication of the silhouette.
The Modern style undoubtedly left its mark on history. We still admire the jewelry, furniture, room design, decorative items and architecture of those years.
The question is often asked: “Is it possible to make Art Nouveau jewelry and clothes with your own hands?” The answer is simple - if you have the desire, you can do anything.
You can make your own brooch in the Art Nouveau style by borrowing a design from the Internet, embroider it with beads and get a unique item.
Using the same technique, you can make a pendant, decorate it with a tassel, pebbles, and weave a cord for the pendant using the beading technique.
The main thing is to study the samples of that time and your hands will get to work themselves.
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