Skip to main content

Art Nouveau Period Collection

Art Nouveau Antiques (FRANCE, UNITED KINGDOM, CA. 1880–1914)
Art Nouveau Antiques (FRANCE, UNITED KINGDOM, CA. 1880–1914)

Art Nouveau was a modernizing movement in the decorative arts that developed in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States. In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, Art Nouveau furniture, jewelry and graphic design reflected a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era.  

Art Nouveau can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. The 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. The style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri 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, bedframes 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 studio of Louis Comfort Tiffany 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.

2
to
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Gothic Armoire
Located in New York, NY
FAPG 19959D/2 Gothic Revival armoire New York, about 1835-1840 Mahogany, with brass hardware Measure: 104 in. high, 73 in. wide, 30 in. deep Exhibited: Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, 2011–12, The World of Duncan Phyfe: The Arts of New York, 1800–1847, p. 89 no. 45 illus. 89 Ex coll.: Private collection (probably R. H. Selstadt, Big Stone Gap, Virginia) Although no specific pieces of Gothic furniture documented as by Duncan Phyfe have come to light, there is considerable evidence that he, like various of his contemporaries in New York, embraced the Gothic style. For example, the catalogue of the Halliday & Jenkins auction sale of the contents of Phyfe’s furniture ware rooms, which was held on site at 192 and 194 Fulton Street, New York, on April 16 and 17, 1847, included a “mahogany centre table Gothic gilt pillar and Egyptian marble top” (Halliday & Jenkins, p. 3 no. 63); “12 mahogany Gothic chairs...
Category

19th Century American Gothic Revival Antique Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Brass

Émile Gallé "Grenouilles" Fruitwood Cabinet
By Emile Gallé
Located in New York, NY
This French Art Nouveau "Grenouilles" carved fruitwood cabinet by Émile Gallé features detailed and masterful marquetry depicting dragonflies and mushrooms in a lush, leafy landscape...
Category

Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Beech, Fruitwood

Related Items
Baker Furniture Fruitwood Breakfront China Cabinet or Bookcase, or Server
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Milford, NH
A Fine example of a two part fruitwood breakfront china cabinet, bookcase, or server, its upper case with a burled walnut veneer central pediment ...
Category

20th Century American Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Brass

Antique French Armoire Linen Cabinet Wardrobe Chest Gothic Revival Oak c. 1890s
Located in Tyler, TX
SUPERB Antique French GOTHIC REVIVAL Oak Armoire, Linen Cabinet, Wardrobe, or Chest~~HIGHLY CARVED~~c. 1890s BEAUTIFUL STATEMENT PIECE~~19th century French Gothic Reviva...
Category

Late 19th Century French Gothic Revival Antique Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Oak

1970s Vintage Mediterranean Spanish Colonial Armoire
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Wonderful stylized Mediterranean Armoire. Deep raised tufted panels and scrolled pulls. Ample storage with extending hanging rod.
Category

20th Century Gothic Revival Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Wood

Biedermeier Armoire, 1820s
Located in Greding, DE
Large four-doored Biedermeier armoire out of cherrywood, the escutcheons are in brass. The base and cornice are slightly protruding, the middle section is accentuated through a small...
Category

1820s German Biedermeier Antique Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Cherry

Biedermeier Armoire, 1820s
Biedermeier Armoire, 1820s
H 83.47 in W 116.54 in D 27.56 in
French Armoire
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Good 18th century French painted oak armoire, 1760 Dimensions: 70 inches (178 cms) wide 27.5 inches (70 cms) deep 93 inches (236 cms) high.    
Category

18th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Oak

French Armoire
French Armoire
H 93 in W 70 in D 27.5 in
Beacon Hill Collection Neo-Classical Style Fruitwood Cabinet by Kaplan Furniture
By Kaplan Furniture
Located in Kennesaw, GA
I love this for two reasons….the attention to detail for which Kaplan Furniture was known, and the size. This piece is not monstrously large as are many contemporary pieces, which makes it very versatile. It could work from dining to office to bath to foyer! Note the dental molding and Greek key apron! This is a breakfront from the Beacon Hill Collection...
Category

Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Brass

André Arbus Attr French Fruitwood & Verre Églomisé Credenza Cabinet, circa 1930
By André Arbus
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spectacular circa 1930s Art Deco fruitwood cabinet attributed to French designer and sculptor André Arbus. Featuring stunning gold leaf Verre Églomisé detail on the central panel whi...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Brass, Gold Leaf

Antique Italian Neoclassical Painted Triple Armoire
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique Italian Neoclassical Painted Triple Armoire is a splendid expression of the classical style that dates back three thousand years! Even the French embraced the style during the reign of Louis XVI, but in reality it never really went out of fashion. This example, with rectilinear architecture features beautifully carved molded detail appearing in abundance spanning the crown and upper portion as well as the base. Motifs include spiral ribbon, egg and tongue & dart, with a particularly resplendent vine relief across the bonnet that is amazingly intricate, and accented with rosettes. On each side door in its own shield shaped framework appears an exquisite torchere set...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Revival Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Brass

Spanish Gothic Style Walnut Entry Wardrobe with Five hangers and carvings
Located in Miami, FL
Spanish Gothic Style Walnut wardrobe with Five hangers and carvings The doors features heads and symbols from gentlemen of this period. The original iron hardware makes so special t...
Category

20th Century Spanish Gothic Revival Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Walnut

Antique French Gothic Wardrobe, Cabinet
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique French Gothic wardrobe ~ cabinet is an intriguing example of the style, with no less than 23 hand-carved linenfold panels combining with ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Gothic Revival Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Iron

Antique French Gothic Wardrobe, Cabinet
Antique French Gothic Wardrobe, Cabinet
H 73.5 in W 60.5 in D 21 in
French Renaissance Style Carved Oak Armoire
Located in Asheville, NC
This 19th century continental armoire with two three paneled doors featuring portrait bust oval framed carvings, bobbin turned pilasters terminate with ...
Category

19th Century Renaissance Revival Antique Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Oak

Art Deco Sideboard / Cabinet by Jacques Émile Ruhlmann
By Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Miami, FL
A Stained Oak Cabinet that features 2 doors concealing 2 locking drawers and one adjustable shelf. There are Shelves on each side of the cabinet. This piece came from La Cité Univer...
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Art Nouveau Period Collection

Materials

Oak

Read More

The Ultimate Guide to Types of Tables for the Home

Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.

What Exactly Is a Secretary Desk, and What Is It Used For?

The furniture equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, it's the multifunctional piece you didn't know you needed.

This Shelving System with Oxidized Brass Tubes Is Retro and Futuristic at Once

Italian studio DimoreMilano mustered great ingenuity when crafting these sculptural shelves, which are built without any screws.

28 Cheerful Home Bars, Where Everybody (Literally) Knows Your Name

Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.

Ask an Interior Designer: Work-from-Home Edition

Leaping into a design project, whether it's refreshing the bedroom or redoing the whole house, can be overwhelming. Luckily, we know more than a few interior designers. You asked questions on Instagram, and now they're answering.

Collected and Eclectic, ‘Wunderkammern’ Are Back in a Big Way

Introduced nearly 500 years ago, curiosity cabinets are finding new fans among today's collectors and designers.

Meet the Incredible Woman Transforming Fallen Trees into Sleek Furniture

In the hands of New York Heartwoods cofounder Megan Offner, unwanted local trees become works of design art.

These New York Architects Love a Complicated Project

From Brooklyn townhouses to Maine campgrounds, Trattie Davies and Jonathan Toews relish a challenge, like transforming a former warehouse space into the new 1stdibs Gallery.

Recently Viewed

View All