ART NOUVEAU

GROUP NINE
 THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
BAR 203: HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE
LECTURERS: DR.ARCH. RALWALA ANTONY ODUOR AND ARCH.
MARGARET NJOROGE MWERU
GROUP 9 TASK: ART NOUVEAU MOVEMENT IN EUROPE AND
AMERICA
DATE: 15TH DECEMBER 2022

GROUP 9 MEMBERS
MWENDA JASON MUTHAMIA – B02/142894/2021
Features and characteristics of Art Nouveau and word compilation
MUTISYA FAITH NEEMA – B02/1251/2021
Origins and history of Art Nouveau
MUTURA SANDRA MUMBI – B02/1232/2021
Art Nouveau in Europe
OBUYA SHERYL – B02/143450/2021
Features and characteristics of Art Nouveau
HAMID RUAYYA AHMED – B02/142427/2021
Art Nouveau in Europe
THENGE MARY WAMBUI – B02/142738/2021
Art Nouveau in Europe and Appreciating Art Nouveau and powerpoint preparation

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CONTENTS
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART NOUVEAU.....................................4
WHAT IS ART NOUVEAU?..............................................................................4
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ART NOUVEAU...................................8
SECTION 2: TYPES, FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ART
NOUVEAU.............................................................................................................10
CURVILINEAR ART NOUVEAU...................................................................10
RECTILINEAR ART NOUVEAU...................................................................11
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU..................................................11
INFLUENCES FROM OTHER CULTURES.................................................12
SECTION FOUR: ART NOUVEAU IN EUROPE............................................14
MAJOR ART NOUVEAU ARCHITECTS IN EUROPE..............................14
1. ANTONIO GAUDI......................................................................................14
2. VICTOR HORTA........................................................................................36
3. HECTOR GUIMARD.................................................................................47
4. CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH.......................................................50
SECTION FIVE: ART NOUVEAU IN AMERICA...........................................55
MAJOR ARCHITECTS IN ART NOUVEAU IN AMERICA......................57
1. LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY...................................................................57
2. LOUIS SULLIVAN......................................................................................63
SECTION SIX: APPRECIATING THE SPLENDOUR OF ART NOUVEAU
.................................................................................................................................69
SECTION SEVEN: BIBLIOGRAPHY...............................................................70

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO ART NOUVEAU
WHAT IS ART NOUVEAU?
The ornamental style of art known as "Art Nouveau" or "New art" is characterized
by curving lines and organic forms that reflect nature. It used both organic and
geometric shapes as inspiration to produce graceful, flowing patterns that looked
like plant branches, vines, tendrils, petals, and flowers.
30 years after its conception, it had developed into a well-known design art
movement that had contributed to the rise of modernism. It developed out of a
strong hostility to strict design methodologies and the industrial age of machinery.
Authors like John Ruskin, who helped popularize the Arts and Crafts Movement,
supported the uprising. Between 1890 and 1914, new construction techniques grew
in popularity. Craftsmen attempted to give life to the abnormally towering, box-
shaped buildings by adopting motifs that alluded to the natural world because they
thought that nature contained the greatest beauty.
Though short-lived, it quickly spread around Europe and the US, taking up a many
of names: Style Moderne and Style Nouille in France, Jugendstil (Youth style) in
Germany, Sezessionsstil (Secession style) in Austria, Stile Liberty/Stile Floreale in
Italy, Arte Noven/Modernismo in Spain and Glasgow style in Scotland. (Craven,
2019)
The ‘Gesamtukunstwerk’, or "whole work of art," was the main aim of Art
Nouveau, which sought to integrate the fine and applied arts. It had a wide range of
effects: A few examples of design fields are architecture, interior design, furniture,
jewellery, glass design, posters, illustrations, fashion, and decorative arts.
Art Nouveau was named after and popularized by a famous art gallery in Paris
opened on 26th November 1895 operated by avant-garde art collector Siegfried
Bing: The Maison de l’Árt Nouveau that displayed specifically this new art. Art
Nouveau showcased a new style that was heavily influenced by European artists
of the time (Louis Comfort Tiffany who supplied the stained glass to Bing’s
gallery, Gustav Klimt, Georges de Feure, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.) Bing’s
gallery featured entired rooms done in the art nouveau style with wallpapers and
fabric done by William Morris and furniture done by Georges De Feure.
Alesund in Norway burned down to the ground on the night of 23rd January 1904,
resulting in the destruction of approximately 900 dwellings thus blurring its urban
layout. Despite the mishap, the town was given a rare opportunity where the whole

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town could be reconstructed in the same style and not just being limited to a
neighbourhood or street. 350 buildings were being constructed between 1904 and
1907 during the Art Nouveau era adopted the new design as it was simple and
modern. The architects involved in the reconstruction of Alesund did not limit
themselves to the exterior of the buildings rather they also designed the interior,
inclusive of the furniture, with the very same style enjoying a certain freedom of
expression. Nissen the architect responsible for managing the project, put only a
few limits involving aesthetic and building criteria such as respecting the project as
a whole, lighting conditions, hygiene and density, height of the buildings, number
of fireplaces and use of stone or brick. and thus it is now known as the ‘Art
Nouveau Town’. The outcome of all this was a unique combination of variety and
unity which is a feature of a style known a ‘Ål Stil’. Although it had a simple
construction style and included uniformity, it was also rich in linear design and had
reflections of Jugendstil as well as local architectural features like the towers and
crested roofs typical of medieval wooden churches which are known as
‘stavkirken’ (stave churches). Variety was displayed in interpreting this tradition,
local materials and the regional iconography of Dragestil-Dragon style (the
historicist design that recalled the country’s Viking background). All this
contributed to Alesund being nicknamed ‘the Art Nouveau Town’. (Art Nouveau
European Route- Ruta Europea Del Modernisme, n.d.)

Figure 1 Sigfried Bing Figure 2 L’Art Nouveau Museum

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 Figure 3 General view of Alesund's Jugendstil District

The first building to be constructed with the new style in Norway was in Kristiana (present day
Oslo) in 1890. However, Alesund replaced Kristiana as the paragon of this new style in
architecture when in was completely reconstructed after being burnt to the ground.

Figure 4 Jugendstilsenteret and Kunstmuseet Kube (Alesund)- Art Nouveau centre and Art meuseum

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 Figure 5

Figure 6

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 Figure 7

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ART NOUVEAU

The emergence of Art Nouveau can be traced back to the Arts and Crafts
Movement in England around the 1950’s. Arts and Crafts was seen as a response to
growing industrialization in Europe and the spread of factory mass production at
the alleged loss of traditional craftsmanship.
The term Art Nouveau coined in Belgium by the periodical L’Art Moderne in 1884
describing to a group of artisans called Les Vingts (also known as Les XX). The
founders of Les Vingts were James Ensor (1860-1949) and Theo van Rysselberghe
(1862-1926). Les Vingt disapproved of distinguishing between "lesser" decorative
arts and fine arts, and he wanted to blend all the arts into one aesthetic world. They
drew their inspiration from French Architect Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc,
British designer William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. William
Morris artisanal craftsmanship, and his use of stylized floral and organic forms,
resonated with many Art Nouveau artists. He stated that “Have nothing in your
house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” (Maher, 2011)
Les Vingt were tired of the academic arts and historicism of 19th century art. They
craved a new form of art that was more appropriate to the industrial revolution
emulating the age of electricity, cinema and automobiles. However, they didn’t

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fancy everything that came with the industrial revolution especially mass
production as it was dehumanize bringing about uniformity and unimaginativeness.
They suggested a return to Arts and crafts and nature creating objects that would
blend fine arts, artisanal craftsmanship, beauty and purpose.
Ironically, Art Nouveau spread rapidly throughout Europe due to mass production
and access to modern materials such as iron and concrete hence achieving even
more extra-ordinary designs. Art Nouveau artists sought to incorporate art with
everyday life thus producing objects that elevate people’s lives like fancy cutlery
and furniture.

Figure 8 Fish fork and knife by Alexander Schonauer. Currently in Museum Fur Kunstund Gewerbe Hamburg

Unfortunately, this movement only lasted to the eve of World War 1(around 1914)
which was caused by a decline of social classes revealing that the style was based
on idealism such as the short lived phenomenon Belle Èpoque (The beautiful age)
that spanned between the end of Frances Second Empire between 1852 and 1870.
It was succeeded by Art Deco in the early 1920’s and was eventually forgotten
over the decades.
Unexpectedly, it was revived in the 1960’s and early 1970’s due to the art posters
by Englishman Aubrey Beardsley and Frenchman Henri de Toulous-Laurec
Feminine designs with organic forms inspired the graphics of psychedelic
movement during this time and hence continues to live on. Dormitories in the US
were known to be decorated with Art Nouveau posters like the one below.

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 Figure 9 Florence by Alphonse Mucha

SECTION 2: TYPES, FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF

ART NOUVEAU
The architects of Art Nouveau were driven by their passions for nature and religion
to create works of art that reflected the shapes of the natural world in architecture.
The devout Gaudí believed that “nature is God’s architect” (Collins, 1960),
whereas Guimard saw Nature as “a great book from which to derive inspiration,” S
Art nouveau is, therefore, described as free flowing, eclectic, unconventional,
organic and natural. The Art nouveau movement in architecture was more a detail
than it was a style.
There were two distinct styles within Art Nouveau, Curvilinear (seen in France,
Belgium, Italy and Spain) and Rectilinear (seen in artists within Germany,
Austria and Britain).
CURVILINEAR ART NOUVEAU
The curvilinear style involves the use of curved and arched lines. Curvilinear forms
lack vertices and strictly avoid the use of flat parallel surfaces. These forms are
strongly linked to the Art Nouveau Style as it reinforces more organic and living
design styles.

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The famous Spanish architect, Antonio Gaudi designed some of the best examples
of curvilinear architecture
RECTILINEAR ART NOUVEAU
Rectilinear is a more geometric and controlled form as opposed to the curvilinear
form. Although this form contains more columns and straight vertices similar to
curvilinear, it still possesses an organic feel which is what links it to the art
nouveau movement.
One of the major architects who designed in the rectilinear form of art nouveau
was Charles Rennie Mackintosh. A good example would be the Glasgow School of
Architecture
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU
ASSYMETRICAL LINES AND MOVEMENT
Art Nouveau draws inspiration from leaves, flowers and plants, birds like swans
and peacocks, insects like dragonflies and wildlife. Architectural designs abandon
straight edges in favor of flowing lines, repeating rhythm, and asymmetry for a
natural feel. Asymmetrical lines mimic the look of organic curves, and repetition
of patterns creates movement to make the structure feel alive. Lines stretch and
then bend back on themselves to create a form known as a whiplash curve.
ORGANIC MOTIFS
Motifs or repeating design patterns include depictions of organic shapes, like
flower buds, plant stalks, vines, insects, and even female forms. These motifs are
apparent in relief carvings, ironwork, tilework, and paintings.  
WIDE COMBINATION OF MATERIALS 

With access to new technologies of the Industrial Revolution, Art Nouveau

architects could use a wide combination of materials like iron, glass, concrete,
wood, and ceramic to create free-form and nature-inspired forms. 

SCULPTURAL CONCRETE AND IRONWORK 

Sculptural concrete and ironwork are prevalent on many Art Nouveau exteriors.
Intricate iron gates, railings, and balconies traditionally feature vine-like patterns
and asymmetrical balusters. Architects like Antonio Gaudí designed highly
sculptural facades, sometimes completely free of flat surfaces. 

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EARTH AND JEWEL TONE COLOR PALETTES

Art Nouveau draws inspiration from the color palette already provided by nature.
Architects and designers traditionally incorporated greens and browns as the
base of their designs and accented with rich jewel tones like yellow, indigo, dark
red, and violet. 

STAINED GLASS AND INTRICATE WINDOW PANES 

Many Art Nouveau buildings also incorporated the use of stained glass or
decorative window panes. These windows often depicted nature scenes or
abstract forms based on the shapes of flowers and climbing plants. 

INFLUENCES FROM OTHER CULTURES

Art Nouveau draws inspiration from cultures such as Japanese art, Rococo style
and folk art.
 Japanese influence on art nouveau
Before 1853, Japan was closed to the world. This means that the Japanese
Ukiyo-e movement was essentially a Japanese art movement during the Edo
period in Japan. The United States forced the opening of Japan to the
western markets in 1853. The west started to become flooded with Japanese
art and, in particular, the Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the 1700s
and 1800s. Daily Japanese products would arrive on the European shore,
including porcelains, silks, fans, kimonos, and the famous Ukiyo-e Japanese
woodblock prints. So popular was this movement that the word was coined
to show the Japanese influence on European culture known as Japonism.
Artists who worked in the Art Nouveau style had borrowed motifs from
Japanese woodblock prints, which had an angular, linear look,
incorporating the grids and parallel lines of Japanese interior design
depicted in these images, as well as the sinuous, flowing lines of
blossoming tree branches, rivers, and kimono designs.

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Figure 10 Ivan Bilibin's illustration of the golden cockerel shows the influence of the Japanese woodblock prints through colour
and prints

 Rococo style’s influence on art nouveau

The Rococo style originated in France at the court of Louis XV and was
popular from about 1730 until 1765 and is associated with his mistress
Madame de Pompadour. In its height the style placed emphasis on natural or
organic forms and attempted to distance itself from classical geometric
designs by using curved lines. Between 1880 and 1915, Rococo was in a
revival period that in turn influenced the contemporary style movement of
Art Nouveau. It is during this time that this famous wallpaper was produced.

Figure 11, 10 showing a wallpaper and teapot dine during the rococo revival in the art nouveau style

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SECTION FOUR: ART NOUVEAU IN EUROPE
Art Nouveau originated in Europe and artists and architects played a big role in its
conception, growth and development worldwide.
MAJOR ART NOUVEAU ARCHITECTS IN EUROPE

1. ANTONIO GAUDI
Artist’s Birth Date 25 June 1852

Places Artist Lived Catalonia, Spain

Medium Artist Is Known For Architecture

Associated Movements of Artist Art Nouveau, Catalan Modernism

Antoni Gaudí was born on the 25th of June 1852 and was considered to be the
most prominent driving force behind the Catalan Modernism movement. His
architecture was very unique and most of his buildings can be found in the city of
Barcelona. Much of his career was occupied with the construction of the Expiatory
Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Família), which was unfinished at his death
in 1926. (artincontext, 2021)

Figure 12 Antonio Gaudi

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HIS LIFE
Gaudí was born in provincial Catalonia on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. He
was of humble origins, being the son of a coppersmith who was to live with him in
later life, together with a niece. Gaudí never married. Showing an early interest
in architecture, he went in to study in Barcelona in the year 1869/1870, then the
political and intellectual centre of Catalonia as well as Spain’s most modern city.
He did not graduate until eight years later, his studies having been interrupted
by military service and other intermittent activities.
Gaudí’s style of architecture went through several phases. On emergence from the
Provincial School of Architecture in Barcelona in 1878, he practiced a rather florid
Victorianism that had been evident in his school projects, but he quickly developed
a manner of composing by means of unprecedented juxtapositions of geometric
masses, the surfaces of which were highly animated with patterned brick or stone,
gay ceramic tiles, and floral or reptilian metalwork. The general effect, although
not the details, is Moorish—or Mudéjar, as Spain’s special mixture of Muslim and
Christian design is called. Examples of his Mudéjar style are the Casa Vicens
(1878–80) and El Capricho (1883–85) and the Güell Estate and Güell Palace of the
later 1880s, all but El Capricho located in Barcelona. Next, Gaudí experimented
with the dynamic possibilities of historic styles: the Gothic in the Episcopal Palace,
Astorga (1887–93), and the Casa de los Botines, León (1892–94); and the Baroque
in the Casa Calvet at Barcelona (1898–1904). But after 1902 his designs elude
conventional stylistic nomenclature.

Except for certain overt symbols of nature or religion, Gaudí’s buildings became
essentially representations of their structure and materials. In his Villa Bell
Esguard (1900–1902) and the Güell Park (1900–1914), in Barcelona, and in
the Colonia Güell Church (1898–c. 1915), south of that city, he arrived at a type of
structure that has come to be called equilibrated—that is, a structure designed to
stand on its own without internal bracing, external buttressing, and the like—or, as
Gaudí observed, as a tree stands. Among the primary elements of his system were
piers and columns that tilt to transmit diagonal thrusts, and thin-shell, laminated
tile vaults that exert very little thrust. Gaudí applied his equilibrated system to two
multistoried Barcelona apartment buildings: the Casa Batlló (1904–06), a
renovation that incorporated new equilibrated elements, notably the facade; and
the Casa Milá (1905–10), the several floors of which are structured like clusters of
tile lily pads with steel-beam veins. As was so often his practice, he designed the
two buildings, in their shapes and surfaces, as metaphors of the mountainous and
maritime character of Catalonia.

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Gaudí was an important participant in the Renaixensa, an artistic revival of the arts
and crafts combined with a political revival in the form of fervent anti-Castilian
“Catalanism.” Both movements sought to reinvigorate the way of life in Catalonia
that had long been suppressed by the Castilian-dominated and Madrid-centred
government in Spain. The religious symbol of the Renaixensa in Barcelona was
the church of the Holy Family, a project that was to occupy Gaudí throughout his
entire career. He was commissioned to build this church as early as 1883, but he
did not live to see it finished. Working on it, he became increasingly pious; after
1910 he abandoned virtually all other work and even secluded himself on its site
and resided in its workshop. In his 75th year, while on his way to vespers, he was
struck down by a trolley car, and he died from the injuries. After Gaudí’s death,
work continued on the Sagrada Família well into the 21st century. In 2010 the
uncompleted church was consecrated as a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

In his drawings and models for the church of the Holy Family (only one transept
with one of its four towers was finished at his death), Gaudí equilibrated the
cathedral-Gothic style beyond recognition into a complexly symbolic forest of
helicoidal piers, hyperboloid vaults and sidewalls, and a hyperbolic paraboloid roof
that boggle the mind and outdo the bizarre concrete shells built throughout the
world in the 1960s by engineers and architects inspired by Gaudí. Apart from this
and a similar, often uncritical, admiration for Gaudí by Surrealist and Abstract
Expressionist painters and sculptors, Gaudí’s influence was quite local, represented
mainly by a few devotees of his equilibrated structure. He was ignored during the
1920s and ’30s, when the International Style was the dominant architectural mode.
By the 1960s, however, he came to be revered by professionals and laymen alike
for the boundless and tenacious imagination that he used to attack each design
challenge with which he was presented.

HIS LEGACY AND FAMOUS WORKS

The architectural work of Gaudí is remarkable for its range of forms, textures, and
for the free, expressive way in which these elements of his art seem to be
composed. The complex geometries of a Gaudí building coincide with its
architectural structure that the whole, including its surface, gives the appearance of
being a natural object in complete conformity with nature’s laws. Such a sense of
total unity also informed the life of Gaudí; his personal and professional lives were
one, and his collected comments about the art of building are
essentially aphorisms about the art of living. He was totally dedicated to
architecture, which for him was a totality of many arts. (Collins, 2022)

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 1. CASA BATLLO

Originally, the building was built in 1877 by Emilio Sala Cortés (one of Gaudí’s
architecture professors), when there was still no electric light in Barcelona. In 1903
it was purchased by Mr Josep Batlló y Casanovas, a textile industrialist who owned
several factories in Barcelona and a prominent businessman.

Mr Josep Batlló granted full creative freedom to Antoni Gaudí, putting him in
charge of a project that initially entailed demolishing the building. However,
thanks to the courage shown by Gaudí, the demolition of the house was ruled out,
and it was fully reformed between 1904 and 1906. The architect completely
changed the façade, redistributing the internal partitioning, expanding the patio of
lights and converting the inside into a true work of art. Besides its artistic value,
the building is also extremely functional, much more characteristic of modern
times than of the past. Some even see elements that herald the architectural trends
of the late 20th Century.

Figure 13 Casa Batllo

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 Figure 14 Casa Batllo

Figure 15 Casa Batllo Section

Figure 16 Casa Batllo

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 2. CASA MILA
Barcelona 1900
In the year 1900, Passeig de Gràcia was the most important avenue in Barcelona.
It was here that iconic buildings began to spring up, and the finest theatres and
cinemas, and the most exclusive shops, restaurants and cafés opened.
It was also the boulevard on which the wealthiest and most ambitious members of
the bourgeoisie decided to build their homes, vying with each other in a bold and
exhibitionist manner by commissioning the most eminent architects of the day to
undertake their projects.
In 1905, Pere Milà and Roser Segimon married. Attracted by the fame of Passeig
de Gràcia, they purchased a detached house with garden situated on a plot
measuring 1,835 square metres and they commissioned the architect Antoni Gaudi
to build their new property. The main floor of this new building, Casa Mila, was to
be their home and they would rent out the other apartments.
There was considerable interest in the construction of Casa Mila and various
reports about it were published, such as the piece in L'Edificació Moderna,
magazine, the publication of the construction employers’ association . The article
stated that Gaudi was determined to meet the needs of modern life “without the
nature of the materials or their resistance being an obstacle that limits his freedom
of action”, and it described the structure of columns as an innovation that would
result in large and well-lit spaces.
The construction of the building was complex and was fraught with financial and
legal problems. Nor was it free from controversy. Gaudi kept changing his projects
to shape the appearance the structures of the building as the work advanced. He
went well over the expected budget and did not abide by the City Council’s
building codes: the built volume was illegal; the attic and the rooftop exceeded the
permitted maximums; and one of the pillars of the façade occupied part of the
pavement on Passeig de Gràcia.
When Gaudi discovered that an inspector had been by to alert the builder, Mr.
Bayó, to these illegalities, he left very precise instructions. If the inspector came
back and the column had to be cut, Gaudi would have a plaque put up, stating “the
section of column that is missing was cut at the order of the City Council”.
In the end, the Eixample Commission certified that the building was a monument
in nature and did not need to conform strictly to the municipal bylaws. Even so, the
Milàs had to pay a fine of 100,000 pesetas to legalise the building.

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The Milàs argued with Gaudi over his fees and they even went to court over them.
Gaudi won the case and Roser Segimon had to mortgage Casa Mila to pay the
architect, who donated the compensation to a convent of nuns.

Figure 17 Casa Milá

THE FAÇADE / CURTAIN WALL

The façade of La Pedrera is not a structural element: rather than serving the
traditional function of load-bearing wall, it is instead a curtain wall. The blocks of
stone (numbering more than 6,000) are connected to the structure by metal
components, thereby making the large windows in the frontage possible.
There are three types of stone in the façade: limestone from the Garraf in the lower
parts and in some of the structural elements; stone from Vilafranca del Penedès for
the bulk of the façade; and limestone from Ulldecona for some of the features (the
frames of some of the windows).

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 Figure 18 model of the curtain wall

THE WROUGHT IRONWORK

The complex and expressive wrought-iron grilles of the 32 balconies of La
Pedrera were made using scrap iron sheets, bars and chains in an unusual but
remarkably effective accumulation that complements the architecture and provides
a decorative element. They are regarded as the forerunners of the abstract sculpture
of the 20th century.

Figure 19

THE ENTRANCE DOORS

Antoni Gaudi’s intention with these doors was to facilitate entry into the buildng
and exit out to the street for both vehicles and people. Large sheets of glass were

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unavailable at the time, so Gaudi fitted together a series of panes in irregular
shapes, based on animals and plants, creating an area of small, protected pieces of
glass in the lower part (where they are at greater risk of being broken) and larger,
more luminous pieces at the top.
This structure acts as a grille and as a door that can be opened in the middle to
allow vehicles to pass through, and to the sides for people on foot.

Figure 20 the entrance ways

THE GRILLES OF THE DAYLIGHT BASEMENTS

The daylight basements of Casa Mila have large openings that were provided with
iron grilles for protection. The grille shown in the photograph is believed to
be Gaudi’s original design. For budgetary reasons, the other grilles were mass-
produced to the same design, with vertical ribbons of metal adapted to fit the
available space.
The 29 grilles of the daylight basements were gradually removed as the coal stores
were converted into commercial premises. Nowadays, four of these grilles are held
in two collections: one in the MoMA in New York, and the other three at the
Gaudi House Museum.
At La Pedrera, two have survived at the Passeig de Gràcia entrance and there is a
copy on the Carrer de Provença façade.

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 Figure 21

BASEMENT
Gaudi anticipated the needs of modern life and in the basement of Casa Mila built
a garage for coaches and cars, the first in a residential building. He used slender
iron columns, as well as an innovative metal structure reminiscent of a bicycle
wheel, to support the floor of the courtyard above. The use of iron enabled him to
reduce the built volume and to gain maneuvering space.

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 Figure 22 model of the structure in the basement

COURTYARDS
Gaudi introduced a major innovation into the type of buildings that had gone
before. As well as small ventilation shafts, he built two large courtyards to improve
the lighting and ventilation of all 16 apartments.
APARTMENTS
The building had an open plan design. One of Gaudi’s most ingenious solutions is
the structural system of pillars made of stone, brick or iron which, by eliminating
the need for load-bearing walls, made it possible for him to freely distribute the
interior space of the floors of apartments.

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 Figure 23

THE CEILINGS
In order for the ornamentation to be interesting, it must depict objects that bring to
mind poetic ideas that constitute motifs. The motifs draw on history, legends,
icons, fables concerning man and his life, actions and passion. Antoni Gaudi.
The ceilings inside the apartments of Casa Mila are very varied: some are in high
relief; others bear inscriptions and even poems. All of them are intended to
continue the undulating rhythms of the façade.
Gaudi’s designs seem to wish to express the matter and forces of nature that have
yielded to spontaneity. At the same time, they combine culture and tradition in the
context of Modernisme.
The decorative motifs and shapes constitute a new plastic art never seen before
despite the fact that it grew out of classical geometrical ornamental forms, from the
simple circumference and its transformation into an ellipse to various spirals and
volutes.

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 Figure 24 detail of the ceiling in mezzanine

THE ATTIC
Gaudi constructed the attic on the floor slab of the top storey. To avoid adding to
the weight of the building, he used 270 catenary arches made of brick to support
the roof terrace. The catenary arch is light, easy to build, supports itself and needs
no buttressing.

Figure 25 model of attic structure

STAIRWELLS FROM THE ATTIC TO THE ROOFTOP

To soften the volumes of these constructions, Gaudi used curving forms, all of
them derived from ruled geometry which, because of their concavity and convexity
and conical shape, alleviate the effect of the built features.
Of the six stairwells, only four are covered with trencadís, in this case fragments of
recycled and monochrome stone, marble or ceramic used to face the curving
surfaces. The other two are rendered with lime and plaster.

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 Figure 26

VENTILATION TOWERS HELP FRESHEN THE AIR IN THE ATTIC

Figure 27

THE CHIMNEYS
Some of the chimneys are individual freestanding constructions, while others are
joined in groups of three or four. They rotate about their own axes, following an
interior and exterior line that corresponds to the aerodynamic displacement of the
smoke emerging from them.

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 Figure 28

3. THE SAGRADA FAMILIA

La Sagrada Família, cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, that was designed
by Antonio Gaudí. Begun in 1882 and still unfinished, the tactile, organic
form of the Roman Catholic basilica of La Sagrada Família (The Holy Family)
is one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks. It is an unexpected sight in its
industrial setting, with its bold flying buttresses and twisted towers looming
over the city.

Commissioned in 1882, the cathedral was funded by donations to

encourage Christianity in Barcelona, which was in decline at the time. In 1883
Gaudí took over as chief architect, and he changed the original Neo-Gothic
design to one based on the geometric forms found in nature. It was to be
Gaudí’s Expressionist vision of a 20th-century cathedral, where he would use
visual symbolism to express the many mysteries of the Christian faith.

Gaudí’s design and models, most of which were destroyed during the Spanish Civil
War, show an enormous form capable of accommodating some 13,000 people.
Built on a basic basilica plan, the Latin cross is surrounded on three sides by
porticoes. To the east stands the Nativity facade with scenes celebrating Jesus’s
birth; on the west is the Passion facade depicting Jesus’s crucifixion, and the main
entrance boasts the Glory facade showing how humans can celebrate the Divine
Glory. Overhead, several huge, spindle-shaped bell towers rise to the heavens, each

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symbolizing different biblical figures: the apostles, the evangelists, the Virgin
Mary and, tallest of all, a central tower representing Jesus.

When Gaudí died in 1926, only the Nativity facade, one tower, the apse, and the
crypt were finished. Gaudí, whose tomb is beneath the cathedral, knew he would
not live to see the completion of his vision, believing it would take 200 years. La
Sagrada Familia was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984. 

Figure 29 Figure 30

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 Figure 31 Timeline of the Sagrada Familia's construction

Figure 32 Sagrada Familia Section Figure 33 Sagrada Familia floor plan

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4. CASA VICENS
Casa Vicens is the first important commission Antoni Gaudí received and
sowed the seeds of all his architectural work.

In 1883, Manuel Vicens Montaner, a stock and currency broker, entrusted the
young architect with designing his summer garden home in the former village
of Gràcia. It is his first masterpiece and one of the first buildings to kick off the
Modernisme movement in Catalonia and Europe.

The current configuration of Casa Vicens and its land is the result of many
changes and transformations, with three clearly differentiated spaces: the
original construction from 1883-1885 designed by Antoni Gaudí; the expansion
from 1925 designed by Joan Baptista Serra de Martínez; and the garden
surrounding the building.

With its new purpose as a museum and cultural space, the renovation project
has adapted the spaces in the building from the 1925 extension in order to house
the various services needed for the new cultural spaces and the general public.
So, it hasn’t been necessary to modify any of the spaces designed by Gaudí.

In order to make the building accessible and give it the necessary flow for
visitors to get around inside, a modern staircase work of Elías Torres, José
Antonio Martínez Lapeña and David Garcia has been installed in place of the
original one connecting the two spaces and a lift has been added, stopping at all
floors and the rooftop.

On the ground floor, there is an area to welcome visitors and the first and
second floors feature spaces displaying the permanent collection focusing on
the building and the temporary exhibits and activities that make up the museum
project.

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 Figure 34 Casa Vicens

Figure 35 Garden of Casa Vicens Figure 36 Main Entrance

Figure 37 tribune registration Figure 38 Roof and Chimney pavillion

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Figure 39 Casa Calvet Sections

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5. CASA CALVET
Casa Calvet was constructed between 1898 and 1900.
At the end of the 19th century, the right-hand side of the Eixample district
was turning into a flourishing neighborhood inhabited to a great extent by
prosperous textile manufacturers. One of them, Pere Màrtir Calvet,
commissioned Antoni Gaudí to build a traditional rental apartment building
where he could install his business in the basement and on the ground floor,
and use the principal or main floor as his family residence.

Figure 40 Exterior facade of casa calvet

Figure 41 Figure 42

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 Figure 43 Figure 44

Figure 45 Casa Calvet section Figure 46 Casa Calvet floor plan

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OTHER BUILDINGS BY ANTONIO GAUDI IN ART NOUVEAU

Figure 47 Palau Guell Figure 48 Bodegas Guell

Figure 49 Church of Colonia Guell Figure 50 Park Guell

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 Figure 51 Bellesguard Figure 52 Palace Guell

2. VICTOR HORTA
Artist’s Birth Date 6 January 1861

Places Artist Lived Brussels, Belgium

Medium Artist Is Known For Architecture

Associated Movements of Artist Art Nouveau

Victor Horta was a Belgian designer and architect born in Ghent, Belgium, on the
6th of January 1861 and he is regarded as one of the fathers of Art Nouveau
architecture. He created the first Art Nouveau houses, three of which have been
listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The curving floral and vegetative
themes he used in his work would become staples of the style and influenced many
other architects such as Hector Guimard. (artincontext, 2021)

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 Figure 53 Victor Horta

WORKS BY VICTOR HORTA

1. HOTEL TASSEL, BRUSSELS
The first town house built by Victor Horta was the Autrique House. This dwelling
was already innovative for its application of a novel Art Nouveau decorative
scheme that did not include references to other historical styles. However, the floor
plan and spatial composition of the Autrique House remained rather traditional. On
the deep and narrow building plot, the rooms were organised according to a
traditional scheme used in most Belgian town houses at the time. It had a suite of
rooms on the left side of the building plot, flanked by a rather narrow entrance hall
with stairs and a corridor that led to a small garden at the back. Of the three-room
suite, only the first and the last had windows, so the middle room, used mostly as a
dining room, was rather gloomy.
At the Hôtel Tassel, Horta definitively broke with this traditional scheme; in fact,
he built a house consisting of three different parts. Two rather conventional
buildings in brick and natural stone—one on the side of the street and one on the
side of the garden—were linked by a steel structure covered with glass. It functions
as the connective part in the spatial composition of the house and contains
staircases and landings that connect the different rooms and floors. Through the
glass roof, it functions as a light shaft that brings natural light into the centre of the
building. In this part of the house, that could also be used for receiving guests,
Horta made the maximum of his skills as an interior designer. He designed every
single detail; door handles, woodwork, panels and windows in stained

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glass, mosaic flooring and furnishings. He succeeded in integrating the lavish
decoration without masking the general architectural structures.
The innovations made in the Hôtel Tassel would mark the style and approach for
most of Horta's later town houses, including the Hôtel van Eetvelde, the Hôtel
Solvay and the architect's own house and workshop. These houses were expensive
to construct and only affordable by the haute-bourgeoisie. For this reason, the pure
architectural innovations were not largely followed by other architects. Most other
Art Nouveau dwellings in Belgium and other European countries were inspired by
Horta's whiplash decorative style which is mostly applied to a more traditional
building.
The Hôtel Tassel had a decisive influence on the French Art Nouveau
architect Hector Guimard, who later developed a personal interpretation of Horta's
example.

Figure 54 The Hôtel Tassel in the early 20th century

EXTERIOR DESIGN AND FAÇADE

The building's exterior, namely the facade, is in itself an example of Art Nouveau.
Horta implemented a number of different stylistic changes that distinguished the
building from others at the time. These changes, however, all existed within the
realm of Art Nouveau, and came from his selection of materials and the way that
they all came together to form a building that exemplified the style as a whole. For
example, the exterior is designed to be smooth and have a sense of fluidity.
Horta also diverged from typical architectural conventions by making the columns
that dominate the front portion out of iron, as opposed to stone. These slender iron
columns house a large bay window that furthers Horta's stylistic goals by creating a
sense of openness and lightness to the building. Exposed rivets and framing

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methods, such as large brackets around the doors and windows create a sense of
unity within the architecture. The organic acanthus set against the riveted iron
beams that house the windows display Horta's desire to fuse nature and industry.

Figure 55 Façade Figure 56 Wrought iron balcony

Figure 57 Entrances

INTERIOR DESIGN
The interior is similarly notable as it features Horta's innovative open floor plan
and use of natural light. Rooms in the town house were built around a central hall,
which was, at the time, fairly groundbreaking. Materials used on the inside are
purposefully visible and conform to the Art Nouveau style by being modeled after

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organic forms. The whole interior retains a cohesive sense of fluidity thanks to
Horta's insistence on designing all of the interior elements.

Figure 58 Stairway Figure 59 Mosaic floor with the characteristic whiplash curving
lines

Figure 60 Detail of the stairway

2. HOTEL SOLVAY
The Hôtel Solvay was designed and built by Horta, between 1898 and 1900, to
serve as a private residence for Armand Solvay, the son of the chemist,
industrialist and philanthropist Ernest Solvay. For this wealthy patron, Horta
could spend a fortune on precious materials and expensive details. He designed
every single detail; furniture, carpets, light fittings, tableware and even the
doorbell. He used expensive materials such as marble, onyx, bronze, tropical
woods, etc. For the decoration of the staircase, he cooperated with
the pointillist painter Théo van Rysselberghe.

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The Hôtel Solvay and most of its content remained intact thanks to the
Wittamer family. They acquired the house in the 1950s and did the utmost to
preserve and restore this magnificent dwelling. The house is still private
property and can only be visited by appointment and under very strict
conditions. As of Saturday, 23 January 2021, the building will start operating as
a museum and will be accepting visitors twice a week.

Figure 61 Facade of hotel Solvay Figure 62 Doorbell of hotel Solvay

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 Figure 63 Entance of hotel Solvay Figure 64 Design of interior decoration by Horta

3. HOTEL VAN ETVELDE

THE MAIN BUILDING
The visible application of "industrial" materials, such as steel and glass, was a
novel for prestigious private dwellings at the time. In the Hôtel van Eetvelde,
Horta also used a hanging steel construction for the facade. The interior
receives additional lighting through a central reception room covered by
a stained glass cupola.
The Hotel van Eetvelde in Brussels was designed in 1898[sic] by Victor Horta,
undoubtedly the key European Art Nouveau architect. While most other
architects flirted with the new style, Horta found it gave the best expression to
his ideas. His skill is demonstrated in his ability to slip his domestic designs
into narrow constricted sites. The interiors become of great importance as
centres of light, which permeates through the filigree domes and skylights—
usually in the centre of the building. The Hotel van Eetvelde is a remarkable
example of the way Horta handled the situation and used it to highlight the
imposing staircase, which leads up to the first-floor reception rooms.

Figure 65 General view Figure 66 Upper part of the main facade

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 Figure 67 Panel of mosaics

INTERIOR DESIGN
The interior of the central building revolves around an
octagonal rotunda surmounted by a skylight. This rotunda and its glass roof were
reconstructed in 1988, as they were originally designed by Horta.
Horta combined here a rest area and a movement area: the rotunda has the function
of a small living room or Winter Garden, but it is surrounded by a circulation area
that provides the connection with the living room, the dining room and stairwell.
The cupola with its coloured stained glass windows is supported by eight steel
columns which "are integrated into this vegetal world like rods". The dining room
door is adorned with opalescent glass whose tint changes according to the intensity
and incidence of light.

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Figure 68 Winter Garden Figure 69 Detail of the winter garden Figure 70 Door with stained glass

4. HORTA HOUSE AND STUDIO

The Horta house and studio now the Horta museum, was Horta's home and
office, and while it was undoubtedly more subdued than the other homes, it had
its own unique elements as well as equally skilled craftsmanship and attention
to detail. He created an interesting staircase décor using elements like wood,
iron, and marble.

Figure 71 Figure 72

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 Figure 73 Figure 74

5. HOTEL AUBECQ
One of his final residences, the Hôtel Aubecq in Brussels, was built for the
businessman Octave Aubecq. It included a skylight over the central
stairway, just like his previous homes, which flooded the interior of the
building with light. Its unusual features included the octagonal shape of the
rooms and the three faces with windows that were created to let in the most
light possible. Despite the owner's initial desire to maintain his traditional
family furniture, Horta was hired to construct new pieces due to the unique
shapes of the rooms. The home was sold to a new owner in 1948 who
wanted to demolish it because Art Nouveau had fallen out of favor by then.
There was an effort to salvage the house, but ultimately the City of Brussels
only managed to save the facade and the furnishings. Numerous plans for the
reconstruction of the facade were created before it was removed and stored,
but none of them were really implemented. The Musée d'Orsay in Paris is
currently displaying some of the furnishings.

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 Figure 75

Figure 76 Figure 77

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 3. HECTOR GUIMARD
Artist’s Birth Date 10 March 1867

Places Artist Lived Lyon, France and New York, USA

Medium Artist Is Known For Architecture

Associated Movements of Artist Art Nouveau

Hector Germain Guimard was born in Lyon, France in 1867 and was a
prominent French designer and architect of the Art Nouveau movement.
Guimard achieved success relatively early with his design work for the residential
apartment the Castle Beranger, the first of the Art Nouveau buildings to be created
in Paris. His style is characterized by his use of iron canopies and glass, with the
signature ornamental curves of the Art Nouveau style. (artincontext, 2021)

Figure 78 Hector Guimard

Guimard studied and later taught at the School of Decorative Arts and at the École
des Beaux-Arts (“School of Fine Arts”) in Paris. Although much of his work is
more engineering than architecture, he considered himself an architecte d’art
WORKS BY HECTOR GUIMARD
.1. MAISON COILLIOT
The Maison Coilliot (Coilliot House) is an Art Nouveau house located
in Lille, France, designed by Hector Guimard and completed in 1900. 

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Louis Coilliot, a French ceramic entrepreneur, was fond of enamelled lava and
wanted to popularize the technique. To do so, Coilliot commissioned Hector
Guimard, an architect he had met at the 1897 fair La Céramique et tous les arts du
feu, ("Ceramic Arts & Glass Making"), to apply the technique to his house's
façade. Coilliot’s factory and warehouse were located to the rear of his house, and
therefore the façade held a double purpose, both decorating the front of his home
and advertising his business.

Figure 79 Maison Coilliot

The Coilliot House is constructed of bricks and cut stone, with decorative elements
in wrought iron, ceramic and enamelled lava. There is a shop on the ground floor,
and apartments make up the rest of the three upper floors. The house has two
façades: a street façade aligned with the neighboring buildings’, and a recessed
façade which stands at an angle. The two façades are linked by balconies on the
two upper floors. Green tiles of enameled lava flank the street façade
whose pediment is surmounted by a wooden roof.
2. PARIS METRO ENTRANCES

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 Figure 80 Porte Dauphine Metro station Figure 81 Abssesses metro station

Figure 82 Bastille Mewtro Pavillion Entrance Figure 83 detail on lights

Figure 84 Metropolitan sign Figure 85 Railing escutcheon with "

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 4. CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH
Artist’s Birth Date 7 June 1868

Places Artist Lived Glasgow, Scotland

Medium Artist Is Known For Architecture, Design

Associated Movements of Artist Art Nouveau, Symbolism

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish designer and architect born in
Glasgow on the 7th of June 1868. His work had many similarities with the
Symbolism movement of Europe, and along with his wife, Margaret MacDonald,
Mackintosh had a huge influence on the design schools of Europe such as
Secessionism and Art Nouveau. (artincontext, 2021)

Figure 86 Charles Rennie Mackintosh

While attending evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art, Mackintosh was

apprenticed to a local architect, John Hutchinson. After completing his
apprenticeship in 1888, he joined the firm of Honeyman and Keppie and became a
partner in 1904.
In collaboration with three other students (collectively known as “The Four”), one
of whom, Margaret Macdonald, became his wife in 1900, Mackintosh achieved an
international reputation in the 1890s as a designer of unorthodox posters,
craftwork, and furniture. In contrast to contemporary fashion his work was light,
elegant, and original, as exemplified by four remarkable tearooms he designed in
Glasgow (1896–1904) and other domestic interiors of the early 1900s.

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Mackintosh’s chief architectural projects were the Glasgow School of Art (1896–
1909), considered the first original example of Art Nouveau architecture in Great
Britain; Windyhill, Kilmacolm (1899–1901); Hill House, Helensburgh (1902); the
Willow Tea Rooms, Glasgow (1904); and Scotland Street School, Glasgow (1904–
06). He was also responsible for two unrealized projects: the 1901 International
exhibition, Glasgow (1898), and Haus eines Kunstfreundes, drawings for a
competition to design an art lover’s house (1901). The latter was constructed
posthumously as House for an Art Lover in the late 20th century in Bellahouston
Park, Glasgow. Although all of Mackintosh’s projects have some traditional
characteristics, they reveal a mind of exceptional inventiveness
and aesthetic perception. By 1914 he had virtually ceased to practice and thereafter
devoted himself to watercolour painting.
Although Mackintosh was nearly forgotten for several decades, the late 20th
century saw a revival of interest in his work. The stark simplicity of his furniture
designs, in particular, appealed to contemporary taste, and reproductions of
Mackintosh chairs and settees began to be manufactured. The Mackintosh House
in Glasgow was reconstructed and opened to the public as a museum in the late
1970s. In 2018 Mackintosh’s library for the Glasgow School of Art was severely
damaged in a fire, just as the building’s restoration from a previous blaze four
years earlier was nearing completion.
WORKS BY CHARLES RENNIE IN ART NOUVEAU
HOUSE FOR AN ART LOVER
It is located in Glasgow, United Kingdom at Bellahouston Park.
It was designed in 1901 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret
Macdonald Mackintosh when they entered a competition to design a ‘House For
An Art Lover’ set by a German magazine, Zeitschrift Fur Innendekoration. The
competition brief was ‘A Grand House in a Thoroughly Modern Style.’ The entry
was disqualified because they sent in their submissions late. The judges, however,
loved their design.
The house was built in the late 1980s to 1990, nearly a century after the original
design by a team of architects led by Graham Roxburg. With 14 original drawings,
building the house was complex. They needed to study Charles’ other works to
understand the approaches, materials and techniques he would have employed.

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FEATURES OF THE BUILDING
 The exterior was made of carved stone panel.

Figure 87 exterior made of carved stone panel

 For the entrance Charles played with light and space. Visitors to the house
enter the double height main hall by way of a low, narrow door set in a
cramped entrance way.

Figure 88 entrance of the house

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 Metal panels on the pillars were by Margaret and are made of tin.

Figure 89 metallic panels on the pillars done by Margaret

 First floor balcony leads visitors’ eyes up through the double height space. It
was included in the original design but additional designs references came
from other balconies by Mackintosh.

Figure 90 plans and sections of the house

 The dining room was meant to blend art and architecture. It is its own
decoration. It was designed to discourage further filling with paintings and
ornaments. Normal Victorian homes had heavy plastered ceilings for the
dining area but Mackintosh uses a light barrel-vaulted ceiling which almost
seems to disappear.

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 Figure 91 Dining Room

 The dining table chairs are characteristic high backed chairs called
Mackintosh chairs.

Figure 92 Furniture by Mackintosh

 The gesso panels were intended by Margaret by layering a mixture of

plaster, whitening agent and rabbit skin glue with the final layer being piped
on like icing on a cake.
 The oval room, which was designed to be a room for ladies, was used by
Charles to symbolize femininity. It has no drawings in the interior. Its clean,
geometric lines and airiness was different from other traditional Victorian
houses. Ovals are used to detail the room: from walls, to cabinets, to
fireplaces, to the light.

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 Figure 93 Clean Feminine interiors

 The music room is the centerpiece of the house. The large bay windows
make the most of the South-facing view, letting a lot of light and connecting
the room to the parkland beyond. The piano in the room was included in the
design.

Figure 94 The Music Room

SECTION FIVE: ART NOUVEAU IN AMERICA

Art Nouveau was brought to the United States thorough the graphic art of England
and France. In the early 1890’s Harper’s magazines enlisted Eugene Grasset
multiple times to design covers for their publications. “His images often
depict women with long flowing hair and designs in the Art Nouveau style.” (A
Short Biography and a Selection of his Works). Grasset’s cover designs were
printed in France, then sent to New York via a transatlanic ship. It is in New York
where the covers were bound to the rest of the magazine. Soon after, newsstands
began advertising magazines and other publications with colorful visual posters,
inspired by the new cover designs.

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 Figure 95 Eugene Grasset’s Christmas 1892 Cover Design for Harper’s Magazine

Grasset seemed to set a precedent in America for the Art Nouveau style. Louis
Rhead, born in England, came to the United States and worked as an illustrator for
8 years in New York. He then returned to Europe for a short time and adopted the
style of Eugene Grasset. “Upon his return to America, a prolific flow of posters,
magazine covers, and illustrations enabled him… as one of the two major
American practitioners of art nouveau-inspired graphic design and illustration.”
(Meggs 214). Rhead was inspired by Grasset’s contour lines and flat colors. He is
known for producing “large one- and two-sheet posters for the New York Sun and
the New York Journal, and commercial posters for the printing firm Louis Prang
and Company…” (Louis Rhead). An example of his commercial work can be seen
below:

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 Figure 96 Rhead’s Cover Design for Prang’s 1896 Easter Publications

Art Nouveau was a transforming time not only in United States history, but in
world history as well. “During this extraordinary time, urban life as we now
understand it was established. Old customs, habits, and artistic styles sat alongside
new, combining a wide range of contradictory images and ideas. Many artists,
designers, and architects were excited by new technologies and lifestyles, while
others retreated into the past, embracing the spirit world, fantasy, and myth. It
rapidly became an international style that focused on elaborate and organic
decoration.” (Art Nouveau, 1890-1914). Art Nouveau was the dominant art style
until World War I, when the attitudes of artists and society alike were changed. “In
past decades Art Nouveau has been recognized by historians as an important
bridge between the progression of Neoclassical aesthetics and Modernism.” (Art
Nouveau).1`
MAJOR ARCHITECTS IN ART NOUVEAU IN AMERICA
1. LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY

Figure 97 Louis Comfort Tiffany

The son of the famous jeweler Charles Lewis Tiffany, Louis studied under the
American painters George Inness and Samuel Colman and also trained as a painter
of narrative subjects in Paris. That he was also influenced by a visit to Morocco is
evident in some of his major works. Returning to the United States, he became a
recognized painter and an associate of the National Academy of Design, New York

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City; later he reacted against the Academy’s conservatism by organizing, in 1877,
with such artists as John La Farge and Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the Society of
American Artists.
Tiffany’s experiments with stained glass, begun in 1875, led to the establishment
three years later of his own glassmaking factory at Corona in Queens, New York.
By the 1890s he was a leading glass producer, experimenting with unique means of
colouring. He became internationally famous for the glass that he named Favrile, a
neologism from the Latin faber (“craftsman”). Favrile glass, iridescent and freely
shaped, was sometimes combined with bronzelike alloys and other metals; such
examples, some signed “L.C. Tiffany” or “L.C.T.,” enjoyed widespread popularity
from 1890 to 1915 and were revived again in the 1960s. His Favrile glass was
admired abroad, especially in central Europe, where it created a new fashion.

Figure 98 Favrille Glass Figure 99 Herringbone glass

Figure 100 Tiffany Studios Daffodil stained glass leaded lampshade Figure 101 "Venetian" desk lamp

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Having established a decorating firm, which served wealthy New Yorkers, Tiffany
was commissioned by U.S. Pres. Chester A. Arthur to redecorate the reception
rooms at the White House, Washington, D.C., for which he created the great
stainedglass screen in the entrance hall (later removed and destroyed). He designed
the chapel for the World’s Columbian Exposition (1893) in Chicago and the high
altar in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

Overwhelmed by the glass display of the brilliant French Art Nouveau

designer Émile Gallé at the Paris Exhibition of 1889, Tiffany became interested in
blown glass. From 1896 to 1900 he produced a vast amount of exquisite Favrile
glass, many pieces achieving mysterious and impressionistic effects;
his innovations made him a leader of the Art Nouveau movement.

Tiffany’s firm was reorganized in 1900, after which he ventured into lamps,
jewelry, pottery, and bibelots. In 1911 he created one of his major achievements—
a gargantuan glass curtain for the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City. Like his
father, Louis was a chevalier of the Legion of Honour; he also became an honorary
member of the National Society of Fine Arts (Paris) and of the Imperial Society of
Fine Arts (Tokyo). In 1919 he established the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation
for Art Students at his luxurious and celebrated Long Island estate (which he had
designed in total), which in 1946 was sold to provide scholarship funds.

Figure 102 the entrance hall of the White House in 1882 with newly installed tiffany screens

Figure 103 Louis Comfort Tiffany (far left) with his parents (seated), pictured holding Tiffany's twin daughters Louise and Julia

WORKS OF LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY

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 Figure 104 tiffany Chapel Figure 105 the flight of souls window

Figure 106 Window of St. Augustine, in the Lightner Museum Figure 107 Girl with Cherry Blossoms

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 Figure 108 The Tree of Life stained glass Figure 109 Angel of the Resurrection (1904)

Figure 110 The New Creation, at Brown Memorial Figure 111 The Baptism of Christ, at Brown Memorial

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Figure 112 Nicodemus Came to Him by Night Figure 113 John the Baptist

Figure 114 Sermon on the Mount Figure 115 Christ the Consoler

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 2. LOUIS SULLIVAN

Figure 116 Louis Sullivan

Louis Sullivan, in full Louis Henry Sullivan, was born on September 3,

1856, Boston, Massachusetts in the U.S. and died in April 14, 1924, Chicago,
Illinois. The American architect, is regarded as the spiritual father of modern
American architecture and identified with the aesthetics of early skyscraper design.
His more than 100 works in collaboration (1879–95) with Dankmar Adler include
the Auditorium Building, Chicago (1887–89); the Guaranty
Building, Buffalo, New York (1894–95; now Prudential Building); and the
Wainwright Building, St. Louis, Missouri (1890–91). Frank Lloyd Wright
apprenticed for six years with Sullivan at the firm. In independent practice from
1895, Sullivan designed the Schlesinger & Mayer department store (1898–1904;
now the Sullivan Center) in Chicago. 
HIS TIES TO ART NOUVEAU
Louis Sullivan pioneered modern design principles in North America, designing
buildings that grew from and for the changing commercial needs of the urban and
rural Midwest. Sullivan's buildings were both economical and beautiful, with
streamlined forms and decoration that emphasized their purpose. He is known
primarily for the creating a form for skyscrapers, office buildings that pushed
upward rather than outward, that highlighted their verticality and for the strength of
his decorative work, which highlighted the underlying form of buildings and
introduced Art Nouveau to North America. Sullivan's style of architecture
influenced those working around and for him, with both the Chicago School and

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 the Prairie School developing from his work, and his emphasis on beginning a
design for a building with that building's purpose in mind guided architects
working across the twentieth century.

SULLIVAN’S PHILOSOPHIES

 Sullivan's work was guided by the adage that "form follows function," a phrase for
which he became known. He believed in looking at the purpose of a building
before devising an architectural form for it and in ensuring that usage was reflected
in both the structure and the decoration.
 Sullivan was known for the high quality of his decoration, which he used to
emphasize the structure of buildings and unify disparate components rather than to
distract from structure. He regularly repeated motifs, particularly semi-circular
arches, and used materials that could serve as decoration rather than requiring
additional ornamentation. He used twisting, organic motifs on terracotta facades
and in ironwork, pioneering Art Nouveau in the United States.
 Sullivan drew from earlier precedents. He reconceived the classical column as a
basis for a skyscraper and created Romanesque portals that elevated commercial
buildings. This innovation had a significant impact on American architecture; his
vertical designs created the form from which most skyscrapers evolved, while his
buildings with horizontal emphasizes created a distinctive architecture suited to the
flat American Midwest. This introduction of classical elements into the modern
architectural vocabulary was continued, later, through the Interwar
Classicism movement.

WORKS IN ART NOUVEAU BY LOUIS SULLIVAN

(a) In 1893, Louis Sullivan created an elaborate Art Nouveau style entrance
for highly practical Transportation Building during the Colombian
Exposition (home for the White City)

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 Figure 117 Transportation Building Entrance

(b)Krause Music Store

Figure 118 Krause Music Store

(c) Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb

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 Figure 119 Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb

(d)Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral

Figure 120 Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral

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(e) The Farmers and Merchants Union Bank

Figure 121 The Farmers and Merchants Union Bank

(f) The Carson, Pirie and Scott Company

Now called THE SULLIVAN CENTRE

Figure 122 The Carson, Pirie and Scott School

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(g) Prudential (Guarantee) Building

Figure 123 Prudential (Guarantee) Building

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 SECTION SIX: APPRECIATING THE SPLENDOUR OF ART
NOUVEAU

Figure 124 AI Generated photo Figure 125 AI Generated photo of a pure art nouveau building

Figure 126 AI Generated photo

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SECTION SEVEN: BIBLIOGRAPHY
Art Nouveau European Route- Ruta Europea Del Modernisme. (n.d.). Retrieved
from Alesund: http://www.artnouveau.eu/en/city.php?id=1
artincontext. (2021, December 16). Art in Context. Retrieved from Art Nouveau
Architecture – The Art and Architects of Art Nouveau Buildings:
https://artincontext.org/art-nouveau-architecture/
artincontext. (2021, December 16). Art in Context. Retrieved from Art Nouveau
Architecture – The Art and Architects of Art Nouveau Buildings:
https://artincontext.org/art-nouveau-architecture/
artincontext. (2021, December 16). Art in Context. Retrieved from Art Nouveau
Architecture – The Art and Architects of Art Nouveau Buildings:
https://artincontext.org/art-nouveau-architecture/
artincontext. (2021, December 16). Art in Context. Retrieved from Art Nouveau
Architecture – The Art and Architects of Art Nouveau Buildings:
https://artincontext.org/art-nouveau-architecture/
Collins, G. R. (2022, November 25). Britannica. Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antoni-Gaudi
Craven, J. (2019, November 14). ThoughtCo. Retrieved from Art Nouveau
Architecture and Design: https://www.thoughtco.com/art-nouveau-
architecture-and-design-177450
Maher, A. (2011). Europeana. (D. McCarthy, Ed.) Retrieved from 2011 Europeana
Art Nouveau exhibition: https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/art-
nouveau-a-universal-style/credits
(n.d.). Casa Vicens Gaudí | Gaudí's first house in Barcelona. Retrieved January 20,

2023, from https://casavicens.org/

Hector Guimard. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Guimard#Castels,_villas_and_a_short-

lived_concert_hall

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History of the Temple - Sagrada Família. (n.d.). Sagrada Familia. Retrieved

January 20, 2023, from https://sagradafamilia.org/en/history-of-the-temple

History of the Temple - Sagrada Família. (n.d.). Sagrada Familia. Retrieved

January 20, 2023, from https://sagradafamilia.org/en/history-of-the-temple

Hôtel Tassel. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_Tassel

Hôtel van Eetvelde. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_van_Eetvelde

Kunda, B. (n.d.). 15 Projects by Louis Sullivan - Rethinking The Future. RTF |

Rethinking The Future. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://www.re-

thinkingthefuture.com/know-your-architects/a431-15-projects-by-louis-sullivan/

Lima, L. (n.d.). Art Nouveau | History, Characteristics, Artists, & Facts.

Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from

https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau

Louis Sullivan - Later work | Britannica. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.

Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-

Sullivan/Later-work

Masters, B. (n.d.). Casa Calvet. Portal Gaudí. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from

http://www.portalgaudi.cat/en/buildings/casa-calvet/

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Middleton, J., & Collins, G. R. (2022, November 25). La Sagrada Familia |

Description & Facts | Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved January 20,

2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/La-Sagrada-Familia

Tiffany, L. (n.d.). Louis Comfort Tiffany. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 20, 2023,

from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Comfort_Tiffany

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