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.
Art Nouveau Ironmongers Shop Counter Drawers Circa 1910s
Located in Gloucester, GB
Art Nouveau Ironmongers Shop Counter Drawers Circa 1910s - Solid pine and Larch with original cast iron handles - Decorative carved sides and front - 30 large drawers - The top has...
Iron
Rare Majolica Butterfly Wall Pocket Clement Massier, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Rare Majolica butterfly wall pocket signed Clement Massier, Golfe Juan Circa 1900. H / 7 inches. W / 9 inches.
Ceramic, Faience
Beautiful Silver Sacred Heart Ex Voto with Cherub Angel, Antique European, 1890s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Handmade Religious Ex-Voto A striking and delicately crafted religious Ex-Voto, sourced from an estate sale in Parma, Italy. The piece appears to be made from thin, lightw...
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
Art Nouveau Vase Ceramics, Floral Turquoise & Blue Josef Ekberg Sgrafitto 1919
Located in Stockholm, SE
An art nouveau vase in ceramics designed by Josef Ekberg at Gustavsberg in 1919, this vase is from the classic Sgrafitto-serie. The vase is 34.5 cm (13.8") tall. It is in very good c...
Ceramic
Lot of Two Silver Sacred Heart Ex Voto with Cherub Angel, Antique European 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Lot of two Handmade Religious Ex-Voto A striking and delicately crafted religious Ex-Voto, sourced from an estate sale in Parma, Italy. The piece appears to be made from t...
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
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
1940s Romantic / Art Nouveau Shell Back Sofa Upholstered With Bronze Velvet
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
1940s Swedish two-seater sofa upholstered in bronze-coloured velour. The design features softly curved lines, elegantly shaped armrests and refined cabriole legs, reflecting a romant...
Velvet, Beech, Pine
Small Swedish oak Jugendstil sideboard, 1930s.
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
1930s Swedish Jugendstil cabinet crafted from solid oak. The piece features two drawers above a double-door cupboard, raised on elegantly tapered legs. The doors are decorated with h...
Oak
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
Art Nouveau Violet and Amber Glass and Brass Pendant Light, France, ca. 1920
Located in Barntrup, DE
French Art Nouveau pendant featuring a sculptural Pâte de Verre glass bowl with honey-amber center and lavender-violet rim. A refined example of early 20th-century French Art Nouvea...
Brass
Delphin MASSIER Majolica Three Wild Roses Flower Vase, Vallauris, Late 19th C.
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Majolica Vase Three Eglantines (Wild Roses) by Delphin Massier, Vallauris, France Late 19th Century Earthenware A stunning French Majolica vase featuring three beautifully modeled e...
Ceramic
Antique Large Sacred Heart Ex-Voto, Flaming Heart, PGR (Per Grazia Ricevuta)
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Handmade large Religious Ex-Voto A striking and delicately crafted religious Ex-Voto, sourced from an estate sale in Parma, Italy. The piece appears to be made from thin, ...
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
French “Clichy” Yellow Glass Pendant Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French “Clichy” yellow glass pendant lamp Brass glass holder Weight : 0.85 kg / 1.9 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international standards for ...
Brass
Antique Germany Cutlery Pocket Knife Nuremberg Beer Scene 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
We are pleased to offer a charming early 20th-century souvenir pocket knife produced as an advertising piece for the historic Jacob Kann Company of Nuremberg, Germany. Once a well-kn...
Metal, Brass
Original Josef Hoffmann, Chair, Model# 330 from 1900
Located in Vienna, AT
Exhibition: chairs for a dining room in: Winter Exhibition of the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry, Vienna, late 1901; exhibition in Saint Louis, 1904, beechwood, stained to simu...
Beech
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
Paul GASQ - Large French Art Nouveau Diane/Artemis Bronze Bust, 1900
By Paul Gasq
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Large French Art Nouveau Bronze Bust Sculpture of Diane / Artemis by Paul Gasq (1860–1944), France, circa 1900. An exceptional and large French Art Nouveau bronze bust sculpture dep...
Marble, Bronze
Alabaster pendant, diam. 30 cm. Swedish Grace, 1920s
Located in Stockholm, SE
A beautiful pendant in alabaster with new wiring and black chains. Similar has been made by Bröderna Malmströms metallvarufabrik (BM) in Sweden during the early 1900s. A beautiful ...
Alabaster, Metal
French Art Nouveau Lavender Glass Pendant by Muller Frères Lunéville, ca. 1920
Located in Barntrup, DE
Rare lavender glass bowl three-light pendant with sculptural bronze chains and floral mounts. This elegant French Art Nouveau pendant light was produced by Muller Frères Lunéville i...
Bronze
Marguerite Dufay - Vintage lithographic Art Nouveau poster by Louis Anquetin
Located in East Quogue, NY
Vintage limited edition lithographic reproduction poster of "Marguerite Dufay" by 19th Century French artist Louis Anquestin (1861-1932). Published in 1968 by The Sunday Times (Lond...
Paper
Art Nouveau Enamelled Faience Vase, Baluster Form, Longwy Region, France, 1910s
By Faïenceries et Emaux de Longwy, Boch Freres Keramis
Located in Glasgow, GB
This Art Nouveau enamelled faience vase, produced in France around 1910 and likely originating from the Longwy region, is executed in a tall baluster form and decorated in heavy enam...
Enamel
20th Century Art Nouveau Clear Glass Vase, Ruffled Edge, Austria circa 1910
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Charming Art Nouveau glass vase with ruffled edge coming from the famous period in Austria around 1910. The extraordinary mouthblown clear glass body impresses with a beautiful bulb...
Blown Glass
Daum Table Lamp Iron Leafs Amber Crystal Glass, France
By Daum
Located in Rijssen, NL
This exquisite Art Nouveau table lamp with iron and orange glass is a real eye catcher. Made by Daum in Nancy, France. A stunning table lamp, a classic design, inspired by organic a...
Glass
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Victorian Aesthetic Arts Nouveau Stained Slag Glass Parlor Lamp 25"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Victorian era Aesthetic Movement / Art Nouveau style table lamp. Mushroom shaped lamp crafted of swirling blue, white, and purple slag glass framed...
Slag Glass
Jugendstil Broom and showel set vienna around 1908
Located in Wien, AT
Jugendstil Broom and showel set vienna around 1908 Brass polished and stove enameled Partly copper
Brass, Copper
Cast Bronze Pendant, Gunmetal 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
Dryad & Co. Art and Craft Rattan Longue Chair 1920s
By Wicker Works
Located in Čelinac, BA
Dryad & Co.Art and Craft Rattan Longue Chair
Rattan
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Victorian Art Nouveau Leaded Stained Glass Floral Window Panel Framed
Located in Dayton, OH
Exquisite antique Art Nouveau leaded stained glass window. Features floral swags in blue, amber, purple and green over a clear paneled background. Framed in wood for ease of hangi...
Stained Glass
Fratelli Toso Fenicia Art Glass Vase, Murano, Early 20th Century
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Art Glass Vase by Fratelli Toso, Murano, Italy, Early 20th Century. Rare Murano art glass vase by Fratelli Toso, Venice, Italy, dating from the early 20th century. This finely execu...
Art Glass
Hen on Nest Tureen Dish Box Portieux or S. Reich & Co, Antique
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Antique Opaque Blue Glass Tureen by Reich & Co., Circa 1910s A striking antique opaque blue glass tureen by Reich & Co., dating to the 1910s or possibly earlier. This elegan...
Glass
Large Jugendstil Alabaster Pendant Light with Dramatic Natural Veining
Located in Lisse, NL
A striking and generously proportioned alabaster pendant light, measuring approximately 19.75 inches in diameter, executed during the European Jugendstil period. Carved from a single...
Alabaster, Brass, Wire
Set of 2 Antique Art Nouveau Picture Frames, Stained Oak, around 1910, Vienna
Located in Andernach, DE
Set of 2 antique stained oak picture frames in a wonderfully hand crafted shape. Vienna in the 1910s, these were the typical items to display on the wall to show portraits of your l...
Oak
French Majolica Wild Rose Cake Stand Delphin Massier Circa 1890
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica Wild Rose Cake Stand Delphin Massier Circa 1890, 9.8 inches diameter , 4 inches height.
Ceramic, Majolica
Large Antique Catholic Reliquary Box Crucifix Pendant with 11 Relics of Saints
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This antique 19th Century metal reliquary is a finely handcrafted devotional object containing 11 third-class relics of saints, each identified with paper scrolls and set against a r...
Metal, Brass
French Art Nouveau Mahogany & Leather Partners Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Essentially two people would comfortably use this remarkable French 19th century mahogany partner’s desk, that is they are willing to share such a magnificent design. A wonderful anc...
Brass
French Art Nouveau Gilt Console Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
French Art Nouveau giltwood console table circa 1900, a sculptural piece of furniture that expresses the artistry of the period when every aspect of interior design was an opportunit...
Marble
Jugendstil chandelier with original painted opaline glass vienna around 1908
Located in Wien, AT
Jugendstil chandelier with original painted opaline glass shades vienna around 1908 Brass polished and stove enameled Original opaline glass shades
Brass
$584Sale Price|49% Off
Antique Hand Carved Wooden Angel Head Sculpture, Spanish, Circa 1900-1920
Located in Buisson, FR
Wonderful early 20th century hand carved wooden angel head with glass eyes. Amazing eyecather with beautiful expression. Spain circa 1900-1920 Weathered, small losses. H:20cm W:9cm ...
Glass, Wood
Set of 4 Mid Century Bar Stools in Thonet style, Italy 70s
Located in Lucija, SI
Set of four bentwood bsr stools in Thonet style Made in the 70s in Italy In very good condition with trace of use
Cane, Beech, Bentwood
French “Clichy” Pink Reeded Glass Pendant Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French “Clichy” pink coloured glass pendant lamp Brass glass holder Weight : 1.40 kg / 3.1 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international standar...
Brass
$5,970
Thonet Bench 1860s
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thoner Bench Austria 1959
Bentwood
Antique French Zinc Grape Hod Wine Cellar Harvest Bucket Basket Planter c. 1900
Located in Tyler, TX
EXCELLENT Antique French Zinc Grape Hod~~c. 1900 Beautiful decorative zinc grape hod, harvest bucket or basket~~perfect for kitchen or wine cellar decor or use it as a planter for f...
Zinc
French Black Enamel Brass Table Desk Lights
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French dark grey enamel and brass desk light. 2,5 meter black cotton flex, plug and switch Available with UK / US plug Weight: 2.50 kg / 5.5 lb Priced per individual item. All lam...
Brass, Enamel
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
Tiffany Studios Turtle Back Table Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany Studios Turtle Back Table lamp
Bronze
French “Clichy” Pink Reeded Glass Pendant Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French “Clichy” pink coloured glass pendant lamp Brass glass holder Weight : 1.30 kg / 2.9 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international standar...
Brass
Elegant round Art Nouveau table, Thonet Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Elegant round Art Nouveau table from the renowned Thonet company, painted black. The table can be easily extended and expanded into an oval table with two additional panels. Conditi...
Brass
French Green Opaline Glass Nickel Pendant Light
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French green opaline glass industrial pendant. Weight 0.40 kg / 0.9 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international standards for incandescent lig...
Nickel
Beautiful flower jardiniere, Jugendstil Art Nouveau Eichwald green, Bohemia 1900
By Eichwald
Located in Wien, AT
A beautiful, classic flower jardinière, made by the renowned ceramics manufacturer Eichwald in Bohemia, circa 1900. The jardinière features typical Art Nouveau design. It has an ova...
Ceramic
Art Nouveau Mirror in Brass and Glass Inlay, Signed A.H. Villaket, France
Located in Meulebeke, BE
France / 1910 / Mirror / signed A.H. Villaket / Brass, wood, and glass / Art Nouveau A rare and lyrical embodiment of French Art Nouveau craftsmanship, this exquisite mirror, signed...
Brass
19th Century Faux Bamboo Chest of Drawers from France
Located in High Point, NC
19th Century faux bamboo chest with marble top from France. The top is decorated with hand-turned finials and a three sided gallery, which are all lined with marble and topped with...
Carrara Marble
Beautiful Silver Sacred Heart Ex Voto with Cherub Angel, Antique European, 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Handmade Religious Ex-Voto A striking and delicately crafted religious Ex-Voto, sourced from an estate sale in Parma, Italy. The piece appears to be made from thin, lightw...
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
Early 20th Century Bronze entitled "The Lovers" by Ferdinand Lepke
Located in London, GB
A powerful and emotive bronze sculpture portraying a tender yet sensual moment between a young man and young woman, their bodies intimately entwined. The male figure gently embraces ...
Bronze
Antique Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Silver GEC Glass Wall Lamp c.1910
By General Electric Company (GEC) 1
Located in London, GB
A beautifully crafted and rare antique silver plated wall light, made in England by the General Electric Company (GEC) c.1910. This refined piece of Edwardian lighting features exc...
Brass
Spectacular antique wall decoration fish gargoyle, patinated copper, 1900 France
Located in Wien, AT
Stunning huge wall decoration - a fish in the reeds, made of pure copper that has been patinated - an original from the Art Nouveau period, made around 1900 in France. There are many...
Copper
French Majolica Wild Rose Plate Delphin Massier Circa 1890
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica Wild Rose Plate Delphin Massier Circa 1890.
Ceramic, Majolica
Josef Hoffmann & Wiener Werkstaette Jugendstil Table Lamp Re Edition
By Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann, Woka Lamps
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
Set of 4 Bat Chairs by Josef Hoffmann for Wittmann Austria
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
The wood is a feast for the eyes. The seat cushions need replacing, as they have holes and wear marks. The back cushions are OK, but probably need reupholstering too.
Elm
Adolf Loos Jugendstil Swivel-Mounted Silk Brass Wall-Lamp, Re-Edition
By Adolf Loos, Woka Lamps
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
Antique Souvenir Pocket Knife unknown City View Scene 1900s Corkscrew & Blades
Located in Nuernberg, DE
We are pleased to offer a charming early 20th-century souvenir pocket knife produced as an Souvenir of a City in Germany. This vintage pocket knife features a relief of Church and a ...
Metal