In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.
ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.
The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.
In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers.
The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.
Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass.
Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).
Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.
There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.
French Brass and Holophane Glass Flush Mount, Pendant Light
By Holophane
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Holophane glass ceiling lamp. Brass arm and ceiling plate. Diameter ceiling plate 12.5 cm / 4.92” Weight: 1.30 kg / 2.9 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been m...
Brass
Josef Hoffmann Silk and Brass Pendant Wiener Werstaette 5th Avenue, Re Edition
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
This marvellous pendant was designed for the New York branch of the historical Wiener Werkstaette. All components according to the UL regulations, with an additional charge we will ...
Brass
Jugendstil Ceiling Lamp / Pendant Opaline Glass, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Beautiful Woka ceiling lamp, also available with a 50 cm diameter radius - total drop is custom-made. Materials used are brass and opaline glass. Available in different finishes. L...
Brass
Antique Tiffany Studios Three-Light Lily Piano Lamp New York, Circa 1910
Located in Tarry Town, NY
This exceptional Tiffany Studios three-light Lily piano lamp was created by Tiffany Studios of New York during the early 20th century, circa 1910. Founded by Louis Comfort Tiffany, T...
Bronze
$4,748 / set
Pair of W.A.S. Benson Art Nouveau Wall Sconces
By Was Benson
Located in NANTES, FR
Paire d'appliques art nouveau vers 1900. Monture en laiton et cuivre. Tulipe ouraline de James Powel. The height of the tulip-shaped shade can be ...
Brass, Copper
Brass/Silk - of the Showroom Wiener Werkstätte Wall Light Jugendstil, Edition
By Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Elegant Wall Sconces, Variation of the Wall-Lamp from the Fabric-Showroom of the Wiener Werkstaette. Measures are without tassel. Just with plain-colored fabric. USA and CAN: All ele...
Brass
Fabric Department Wiener Werkstaette Silk Wall Light Wall Lamp
By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Elegant wall lamp suitable to the fabric department pendants of the Wiener Werkstaette Material Metal frame work covered with silk Most components according to the UL regulations, wi...
Brass
Pair of Antique Art Nouveau Richard Evered & Sons Nickel Wall Lamps. c.1900
Located in London, GB
An exceptional pair of early Art Nouveau wall lamps by Richard Evered & Sons. c.1900. Crafted in solid brass and finished in bright nickel plate. The plating has mellowed beautifull...
Brass, Nickel
Beautiful Large France Art Nouveau Glass and Brass Wall Lights
Located in Berlin, DE
Beautiful large pair of Art Nouveau wall sconces in glass and gilded metal/brass. Elegant and refined, with a timeless charm and a high-end, luxurious appearance. France 1920/1930s
Metal, Brass
Massive Antique Tiffany Style Light Lamp Shade Glass 21"
Located in Somis, CA
A massive 21" wide Tiffany-style leaded glass lamp shade. Its graceful, pointed conical form is composed of softly variegated amber and honey-colored glass, accented with small flora...
Metal
French Art Nouveau Brass White Opaline Glass Pendant Light 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Art Nouveau glass pendant Brass bulb holder with white opaline shad with clear blue glass edge. 2 meter / 80 inches black cotton wire. Weight: 0.75 kg / 1.7 lb Priced per i...
Brass
$2,374 / set
Pair of Art Nouveau Wall Sconces
Located in NANTES, FR
Pair of Art Nouveau wall sconces, circa 1920. Nickel-plated brass mounts featuring acanthus leaf ornamentation. Electrified; B22 sockets. Three-point mounting. Uraline (uranium) glas...
Brass
French White Opaline Glass & Brass Pendant Lights
Located in Amsterdam, NL
White mat opaline glass pendant Brass top and bottom 200 cm / 80" black cotton wire. Weight: 1.70 kg / 3.7 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by inter...
Brass
Fratelli Toso Murrine Glass Table Lamp, Art Nouveau, Italy, 1900
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Rare Fratelli Toso Venetian glass table lamp or night-light, made in Venice, Italy, circa 1900. Exceptionally decorative and uncommon in this size, this elegant lamp is a refined exa...
Bronze
Antique Tiffany Studios New York Ten-Light "Lily" Favrile Glass Table Lamp
Located in Tarry Town, NY
An exceptional and highly sought-after Tiffany Studios New York Ten-Light "Lily" table lamp, created circa 1910 during the golden age of American Art Nouveau design. This magnificent...
Bronze
Impressive size Tiffany style stained glass chandelier, 1990s
Located in ECHT, NL
Impressive round Tiffany style chandelier. The frame is made from steel and consists of two halves that bolt together. The frame houses 48 stained glass plates with floral decor. T...
Metal
Majolica Ceiling Light Fixture, To Be Electrified, France, 19th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
To Be Electrified. Late 19th-century French slipware ceiling light with floral decoration, ready for rewiring. Charming late 19th-century French slip...
Majolica
French Art Nouveau Heavy Brass Etched Glass Lantern Pendant Light, 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Classic French gilded brass Art Nouveau hall lantern. Brass frame and gallery with balloon-shaped etched glass. Around 1900-1930 Height including chain and canopy: 75 cm / 29.53 in...
Brass, Gold Plate
Elegant French Flower Glass & Brass Pendant Lights
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French frosted glass pendant lights Brass top with 2 meter / 80 inches black cotton flex More in stock 50x, small differences in the edges. Good to combine. Weight 0.50 kg / 1.1 lb...
Brass
Josef Hoffmann and the Wiener Werkstaette Fabric Department Pendant, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
A simple but sensational fixture, designed by Josef Hoffmann, for the fabric department of the Wiener Werkstaette on Kaerntnerstrasse in Vienna. Style and color of the fabric custom-...
Silk
Josef Hoffmann & Wiener Werkstätte "Fabric Department" Chandelier, Re Edition
By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Vienna, AT
A simple but sensational fixture, designed by Josef Hoffmann, for the fabric department of the Wiener Werkstaette on Kaerntnerstrasse in Vienna. Style and color of the fabric custom ...
Silk
Wiener Werkstaette Josef Hoffmann "Graben Cafe" 45 Pendant Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Originally a Josef Hoffmann design for the Staekelborg, Knips and for the Berta Zuckerkandl Mansion. This one was designed for the famous Graben Cafè in Vienna - Comes in all sizes. ...
Brass
Famous Adolf Loos "Turnowsky" Table Lamp Brass Silk Design from 1900, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
A great design from 1900, Adolf Loos has used this lamp in several Interiors: Turnovsky, Paul Khuner, Lit.: E. Ottillinger, Adolf Loos, Wohnkonzepte und Möbelentwürfe, Salzburg 1994,...
Brass
Hanging Lamp from the showroom of the Wiener Werkstaette used by Josef Hoffmann
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Hammered Hanging- lamp from the showrooms of the Wiener Werkstaette used by Hoffmann in several variations. Works-number M115, pattern-book of the Wiener Werkstaette: WWMB 3 p. 256-2...
Brass
French Art Nouveau Brass Pink Satin Glass Pendant Light 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Art Nouveau glass lamp Brass bulb holder with pink glass shade. 2 meter / 80 inches black cotton wire. Weight: 0.70 kg / 1.5 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have b...
Brass
French Sconces Wall Lamps Satin Glass & Brass Flower
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French wall lamp White satin glass. Brass wall piece and arm diameter brass wall mount: 10 cm / 3.94, 3 holes to secure Weight: 0.70 kg / 1.5 lb Multiple flower design glasses in ...
Brass
Tiffany Studios New York "Chinese Geometric" Table Lamp
Located in New York, NY
A Tiffany Studios New York glass and bronze "Chinese Geometric" table lamp, featuring a mottled orange, yellow, and green leaded glass shade atop an intricately sculpted patinated br...
Bronze
Maria Theresa Style Crystal Chandelier Handmade Luxury European Chandelier
Located in Berlin, DE
This exceptional crystal chandelier is entirely newly handcrafted in our Berlin workshop and represents the timeless elegance of the classic Maria Theresa style combined with modern ...
Crystal
Josef Hoffmann Wiener Werkstätte Wall or Ceiling Light, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Vienna, AT
Puristic design from the early stages of the Wiener Werkstaette, Measures: Diameter 25 cm. This lamp is also available in diameter 35cm and 50cm. most components according to the UL...
Brass
Art Nouveau Brass & Iron, Clear Cut Glass Flush Mount
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Cast gas pendants / ceiling lamp ca. 1900 Cast Iron top with clear cut glass shade Diameter ceiling plate 19 cm / 7.48 inches Weight: 2.60 kg / 5.7 lb Priced per individual item. ...
Brass, Iron
Art Nouveau French Brass and White Pressed Glass Pendant Light, 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Art Nouveau, white pressed glass pendant lamp ca. 1920 Brass chain Weight: 2.50 kg / 5.5 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international ...
Brass
Large Crystal Rustic Antique Chandelier Classic Traditional Solid Wide Glass
Located in Berlin, DE
A magnificent antique Art Nouveau crystal chandelier. Carefully restored and ready for immediate use, this piece is a true eye-catcher for any elegant interior. Dimensions: Overall ...
Crystal, Iron, Wire
Large Maria Theresa Style Crystal Chandelier Handmade Luxury European Chandelier
Located in Berlin, DE
This exceptional crystal chandelier is entirely newly handcrafted in our Berlin workshop and represents the timeless elegance of the classic Maria Theresa style combined with modern ...
Crystal
French Art Nouveau Copper Cut Glass Brass Sconce Wall Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French art nouveau wall lamp Semi frosted cut glass shade Copper wall piece and brass arm Weight: 1.70 kg / 3.7 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by ...
Brass, Copper
French Art Nouveau Brass Pink Satin Glass Pendant Light 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Art Nouveau glass lamp Brass bulb holder with Pink & White glass shade. 2 meter / 80 inches black cotton wire. Weight: 0.60 kg / 1.3 lb Priced per individual item. All lamp...
Brass
Wiener Werkstaette Josef Hoffmann "Graben Cafe" 55 Pendant Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Originally a Josef Hoffmann design for the Staekelborg, Knips and for the Berta Zuckerkandl Mansion. This one was designed for the famous Graben Cafè in Vienna - Comes in all sizes. ...
Brass
$2,200Sale Price|24% Off
1930 Alabaster Pendant With Rope Suspension and Alabaster Matching Canopy Sweden
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
Art Nouveau alabaster bowl pendant lamp, dated 1931. The lamp features a beautifully veined alabaster shade suspended by knotted cords, giving the piece a distinctive and decorative ...
Alabaster
French Art Nouveau Brass White Opaline Glass Pendant Light 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Art Nouveau glass pendant Brass bulb holder with white opaline shad with clear green glass edge. 2 meter / 80 inches black cotton wire. Weight: 0.75 kg / 1.7 lb Priced per ...
Brass
$1,700Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Austrian Art Nouveau bronze wall sconce: torso of a woman
By Vienna Bronze
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
A pair of wall lamps from around 1910. Perfect, solid craftsmanship. Brass, bronzed white metal. Each with an E27 socket. Renewed electrification.
Metal, Bronze, Brass
French Art Nouveau Brass Clichy Pink Colored Glass Pendant Light 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Art Deco “Clichy” pink coloured glass pendant lamp Brass glass holder 2 meter / 80 inches black cotton wire. Weight: 0.70 kg / 1.5 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps ...
Brass
Alice Nordin for Arvid Böhlmarks, Model 3652, Brass and Crocodile Glass
By Alice Nordin
Located in Hammarö, SE
Alice Nordin for Arvid Böhlmarks, Model 3652 Brass and Crocodile Glass Table Lamp, Sweden, 1910 An exceptional Swedish Art Nouveau table lamp designed by Alice Nordin for Arvid Böhl...
Brass
Adolf Loos American Bar Wall Lamp for the Famous Loosbar in Vienna, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
Adolf Loos has used such lamps in several houses such as Villa Steiner 1910, Wohnung Vogl Pilsen 1929, Wohnung Brummel pilsen 1929. The lamps from the American Bar in Vienna are diff...
Brass
Josef Hoffmann & Wiener Werkstaette Jugendstil Table Lamp Re Edition
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Grooved casted column, copy of a signed and marked lamp, offered on an auction - see detail - compare to WW-Archive at the MAK - Object 3014, Inventnory# 119-23-1 Most components ac...
Brass
$2,564Sale Price|25% Off
1940s Swedish Floor Lamp With Three Red Satin Shades
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
1940s brass floor lamp with a solid bronze base. The lamp features three adjustable arms, each fitted with its original red satin shade. All three light points can be switched indivi...
Brass
French Art Nouveau Brass & Frosted Glass Table Desk Light
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French frosted glass, brass desk light / table lamp 2,5 meter black cotton wire, plug and switch Available with UK / US plug Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made su...
Brass
Adolf Loos Jugendstil Swivel-Mounted Silk Brass Wall-Lamp, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
Swivel-mounted wall-lamp, measures as desired either with a wall-plate for direct-wiring, or with the cable going down to plug in - in that case a weight can be mounted on the cable ...
Brass
Josef Hoffmann Silk and Brass Table Lamp Villa Primavesi, Re-Edition
By Josef Hoffmann, Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Similar to the Steiner lamp by Adolf Loos but with a silk shade. Published in Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration in 1915, for the bedroom of the Primavesi Family. Most components accordi...
Brass
Wiener Werkstätte chased brass and glass Chandelier, Edition
By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Chandelier for the Otto Boehler Villa, 1918, chased brass, crystal-glass, 6- flames Total drop Custom made Lit.: Wiener Werkstätte Archive, MAK Vienna, Patternbook of the Wiener Wer...
Brass
Alice Nordin for Böhlmarks, Model 6530, with its original organic crocodile glas
By Alice Nordin, Arvid Böhlmarks Lampfabrik
Located in Hammarö, SE
Alice Nordin for Böhlmarks, Model 6530, Sweden, 1912 An exceptional Swedish Art Nouveau table lamp designed by sculptor Alice Nordin for Arvid Böhlmarks Lampfabrik in 1912. Model 6...
Brass
French Frosted Glass Cast Iron Brass Flush Mount Ceiling Lamps
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Glass sconce / flush mount metal E27 / E26 bulb holder with frosted glass shade cast iron ceiling plate diameter 10.5 cm / 4” Weight: 1.20 kg / 2.6 lb Priced per individual item. ...
Brass, Iron
Josef Hoffmann & Wiener Werkstaette Ceiling Lamp, Edition
By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Vienna, AT
A pendant-lamp, very often used by Josef Hoffmann. Punched or plain, several finishes. Total drop custom made. Originally manufactured at the Wiener Werkstaette Atelier, now custom m...
Brass
Cast Bronze Sconce, Verdegris Finish, Flor de Bronce Collection
By L'Aviva Home
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the layered significance of the calla lily in Mexican culture, this collection blends the bold heft of cast bronze with sculpted, flowing curves that echo the flower’s fo...
Bronze
Cast Bronze Sconce, Brasa Finish, Flor de Bronce Collection
By L'Aviva Home
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the layered significance of the calla lily in Mexican culture, this collection blends the bold heft of cast bronze with sculpted, flowing curves that echo the flower’s fo...
Bronze
Cast Bronze Pendant, Verdigris Finish, Flor de Bronce Collection
By L'Aviva Home
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the layered significance of the calla lily in Mexican culture, this collection blends the bold heft of cast bronze with sculpted, flowing curves that echo the flower’s fo...
Bronze
Muller Frères Luneville Pendant Light with White and Burgundy Glass, 1920
Located in Barntrup, DE
French Art Nouveau pendant light by Muller Frères Lunéville featuring white and burgundy mottled pâte de verre glass with decorative brass chains and canopy. An elegant signed Mulle...
Brass
Tiffany Style Bronze Twelve-Light Floor Lamp with Charles Lotton Art Glass Shade
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Exceptional Tiffany style bronze twelve-light floor lamp featuring hand-blown art glass shades by renowned American glass artist Charles Lotton. This magnificent floor lamp is inspir...
Bronze
'Balancing Act' Table Lamp By Joseph Ellwood for Six Dots Design
Located in London, GB
A welded Steel Table Lamp. Balancing Act is a collection of two lamps and a candle holder. Inspired by Calder’s Circus, it captures a sense of naive joy and playful freedom, inviting...
Steel
Josef Hoffmann&Koloman Moser, Wiener Werkstaette Vienna Secession Pendant Edit
By Koloman Moser, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Vienna, AT
A single pendant from the chandelier for the entrance of the Wiener Werkstaette-Showrooms in Neustiftgasse 32/34 in Vienna Hammered or plain - another image shows the complete chande...
Crystal, Brass
Cast Bronze Sconce, Sepia Finish, Flor de Bronce Collection
By L'Aviva Home
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the layered significance of the calla lily in Mexican culture, this collection blends the bold heft of cast bronze with sculpted, flowing curves that echo the flower’s fo...
Bronze
Josef Hoffmann Wiener Werkstätte Jugendstil Silk & Brass Table Lamp, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Vienna, AT
Desk lamp, originally manufactured at the historical Wiener Werkstätte and archived at the WW-pattern-books with the # S 142 - all in all, just eight lamps were manufactured at the W...
Brass