Art Nouveau: 50 Works Of Art You Should Know

by Susie Hodge

A new edition to Prestel's popular "50s" series, this collection of the finest examples of Art Nouveau shows how the movement impacted every artistic discipline. The heyday of the Art Nouveau style was relatively short,
spanning the decades immediately before and after 1900.
However it was a tremendously important period, not only
for its radical shift away from the academic and romantic
movements of the late 19th century, but also for its embrace
of nature and natural forms. This authoritative, accessible, and
beautifully illustrated book explores fifty of the most important
works of the Art Nouveau style. From Mackmurdo's jacket
design of Christopher Wren's City Churches to Sykes' sculpture,
The Spirit of Ecstasy, each work is presented in double-page
spreads that chronologically trace Art Nouveau's development
and breadth--from architecture, Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, and
graphic arts, Toulouse-Lautrec's poster advertising the Divan
Japonais, to home decor, lamps by Tiffany and Daum Freres,
and painting, Munch's Madonnas and Walter Crane's Neptune's
Horses. Each entry includes a full-page illustration and concise
explanatory texts. An introductory essay on the history and
legacy of Art Nouveau, along with brief biographies of the
artists featured in the book, make this a comprehensive yet
compact reference work."

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2015

Reviews

[Am Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting enough. 50 different art nouveau works are featured, some by the same artist (mostly Klimt and Mucha). That wasn't a problem for me because the book - as it says in its title - showcases individual art pieces and not artists. Some artists were more prolific and famous than others, so more of their works ended up becoming well-known compared to other more obscure contenders. A one-page description of each work is given, together with a picture of it. My only issue was that the description didn't always adequately state why that particular art piece is something "you should know". That aside, I did come away with a greater understanding of art nouveau in general and some of the defining works of this genre.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art good, variety not so good. I wanted to find more Art Nouveau artists, instead I found mostly the usual suspects and to be honest I have a greater variety of Art Nouveau in my Pinterest board

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third book in the Youies. This series is a good start Should Know sernew artists or artistic currents and styles. 50 to discovering is a good number. When someone can say that he or she knows 50 pieces of art in one short-lived artistic style, then that person can be considered knowledgeable!!
I used this book as a bedside table book. Every day, I read one to two descriptions. With such several and a variety of works of art, it is easy to extract the patterns of the ideas that make up a concept: flowing lines, asymmetry, Japanese influences, multiplicity of supports, undulations, abstract designs, and technology. The Art Nouveau touches every art and craft available: painting, ceramic, engravings, furniture, accessories, buildings, clothing, etc.
Each work is introduced with the artist's quotation, a short chronology, and a description that is not too descriptive but places the artwork in a historical and geographical context.
Art Nouveau is not my favorite art style. However, some pieces stood out, such as the Tiffany lamps, the posters for the cabarets (Chat noir), some buildings (Hôtel Tassel), etc.
I now have a better understanding of Art Nouveau and how it differs from Art Deco. If that's what the author intended, then the mission is accomplished.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, and I found the introduction segment very helpful and explained well. I liked the feature of the timelines for each artists, however, many of the artists were repeated several times. Now I am aware that this book showcases singular pieces, rather than artists, but it did feel very repetitive when reading about the same artist over and over again.

Another thing that disappointed me a little was the fact that every single artist was a man. I would’ve liked to see a women’s view on art of the time since a lot of it was based primarily on the female figure.
I am definitely on the opinion that artists such as Élisabeth Sonrel, or Frances MacDonald had work that deserved to be on the ‘top 50’ list.

In summary, the design of the book was informative, the content was interesting, but many artists were repeated and I (personally) would’ve enjoyed some women’s work to be included.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some odd choices, and exposition that was just a tad long-winded. Otherwise, it was wonderful.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for the geocaching challenge - it was surprisingly hard to find a book I wanted to read covering Art Nouveau - the novels I might have read I had already read and not long enough ago to warrant a re-read.

It is a beautiful style about which I have read quite a bit over the years and attended exhibitions (mainly in the UK and Europe - there's not a lot of it in NZ - and before someone says 'what about Napier?', that is Art Deco not Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau grew out of the Arts and Crafts movement and, although they are constantly confused, is the direct opposite of Art Deco, being about natural lines and designs (such as plant forms like vines etc) and tends to be ornate where Art Deco is all stripped down, simple lines, stylised forms.

I can't say I agreed with all the Editor's designations of what artworks constituted a) Art Nouveau and b) important - more important than others not included, presumably. A couple of glass artefacts from Tiffany made appearance but not one of his windows; as any notion of Art Nouveau in anyone's mind is likely to encompass Tiffany and/or Alphonse Mucha, I was surprised by this. I was also surprised at the inclusion of Gauguin; I have trouble seeing his work as belonging to Symbolism, much less Art Nouveau. Anyway, he only gets a look-in as an Art Nouveau artist by being co-opted from the Symbolists so can hardly be said to be one of the 50 most important. Munch was another. Yes, I can see how some of his lines have an Art Nouveau flavour but he ain't an Art Nouveau artist, not a chance! Symbolism, I'll give him. Klimt definitely fits Art Nouveau, as does Toulouse-Lautrec because of his posters for the Moulin Rouge and no other reason.

The collator/editor of this collection is perhaps unable to tell the difference between Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Symbolism and Expressionism. She keeps barking on about William Morris who began the Arts and Crafts movement and ends with Sydney Syme because he was a Symbolist......aaarrrggghhhh!!!!! by the end I was ready to chuck the book at a wall. In my opinion it is so confused about what constitutes which movement that it is not useful.

50 Art Nouveau Works of Art You Should Know.......I don't think so!

[Arliegh Kovacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting introduction to the Art Nouveau period and its major contributors although there were multiple examples from the same artists instead of the 50 different artists I expected to be shown.