Travel Tips

Originated in Brussels in 1893, its major exponents there were Victor Horta, Paul Hankar and Henry van der Velde. It is a style which tried to move away from the usual architectural styles of 1900. There was no historicism, where architects tried to accommodate standards of the past to the present situation. That is not to say that Horta and others devised this style out of thin air. The influences of William Morris and indeed of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (amongst others) are plain to see.

The Art Nouveau movement flourished for 15 years, but by 1908 it had already been overtaken by other movements then emerging, such as Art Deco (and Europe generally was edging towards conflict). Its predominant theme was sensual curves rather than the more usual austere rectilinear lines. These were what Horta called the "coachwhip". Not forgetting the use of iron as an organic form.

Naturally Brussels was well endowed with some splendid examples of this style. However Mammon dictated that style cannot stand in its way, and a lot of beautiful examples were torn down to make way for various monstrosities of their age, concrete and glass blocks. Only now is the wave of philistinism receding, and the heritage being recognised for what it is. There are still several examples of outstanding architecture to be seen in Brussels, several of which house museums.

Although the style originated in Brussels, it was taken up elsewhere. Most notably the Paris metro then being built adopted and adapted it. The typical "bouche de metro" exemplifies this perfectly. This was the work of Hector Guimard, whose name and style became synonymous with Art Nouveau.

It instantly symbolises Paris like no other street furniture (except maybe the véspasianes, which have now gone, thank goodness!)(but still to be seen and smelled canal-side in Amsterdam.)

No discussion on Art Nouveau can be complete without recognition of the contribution made by Alphonse Mucha. He rose to fame from his graphical work - posters for Sarah Bernhardt and mundane commercial products: cigarette papers, bicycles, beer etc. Initially he was certainly more involved with portraiture and illustration of idealised women, rather than the form of the abstract. Although he lived in Paris during the ascendancy of Art Nouveau, and indeed became almost synonymous with it, his depiction of women as graceful deities in swirling robes strongly evokes his Bohemian origins.

Another striking example of Art Nouveau can be seen in the town of Ålesund on the Norwegian coast. The town burnt down in 1904, and was entirely rebuilt within a space of three years, under the patronage of Kaiser Wilhelm.

This is the local variation, blending local materials and traditions into a form known as Jugendstil (which after all is the translation of the French into Norwegian).