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.
Diskometal Rabbit Sculpture designed by Just Andersen, 1930s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Diskometal rabbit sculpture designed by Just Andersen in the early 1930s. * Rabbit sculpture in diskometal * Designer: Just Andersen * Model: 1515 * Year: 1933 * Condition: Fair vin...
Metal
$590Sale 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
Antique Italian Carved Alabaster Maiden Seated in Bronze Chair, by E. Fiaschi
Located in Petaluma, CA
This lovely young girl seated in a chair is a fine example of the work of Emilio Fiaschi, Italian b.1858-d.1941. Known mostly for his alabaster carvings, this is a nice example of hi...
Alabaster, Marble, Bronze
Finest quality Bacchante Italian White Marble Bust with Gilt Bronze Mounts
Located in New York, NY
Finest quality 19th century Italian Grand Tour white marble bust sculpture of a beautiful Bacchante (follower of Bacchus) distinguished by its gilt bronze base and mounts. Apparently...
Marble, Bronze
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
Young Girl With Cat, Ernst Waegener (1854-1919), H. Noack, Berlin, C. 1908
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Young Girl With Cat, Ernst Waegener (1854-1919), H. Noack, Berlin, Art Nouveau, 1908 A finely cast Art Nouveau figural sculpture by Ernst Waegener (German, late 19th–early 20th cent...
Bronze
French Art Nouveau Alabaster Bust of Young Lady, Marble Base, ca. 1900
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
French Art Nouveau Alabaster and Marble Bust of a Young Lady, France, ca. 1900 A beautiful French Art Nouveau sculpture dating from circa 1900, this elegant bust of a young lady is ...
Alabaster, Marble
Early 20th Century Dachshund Dog Austrian Vienna Bronze Miniature Figure
By Franz Xaver Bergman (Bergmann)
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic early 1910s Vienna bronze figurine, expertly crafted and beautifully detailed in the tradition of Austrian cold-painted bronzes. This charming polychromed bronze sculpture sh...
Bronze
Italian Pair of Rooster Figures 20th Century Art Nouveau Animalier Sculptures
Located in Milano, MI
Pair of antique Italian rooster sculptures, hand-made in Italy in the early 20th century, in the Art Nouveau period, inspired to the Animalier style, ...
Bronze
Henri Gauquie The Sower Bronze Sculpture, Art Nouveau, c. 1910
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Rare French bronze sculpture by Henri Désiré GAUQUIE (1858-1927), France, ca.1910. The sower. Height : 18.25"(46.4cm), Width : 7.9"(20cm), Depth : 8.1"(20.5cm). A sharp line, an indi...
Bronze
Lucio Fontana (1899-1968): Life-size reclining nude made of plaster; 1920s
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Life-size reclining female figure made of plaster. It dates from the early period of Lucio Fontana's work (1922 to approximately 1930), when he worked in the sculpture studio "Fonta...
Plaster
Majolica Frog with Mandolin Delphin Massier, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Art Nouveau Majolica frog who playing mandolin signed Delphin Massier circa 1900. The Massier are known for the quality of their unique enamels and paintings.
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Vintage Antique MaruMan T2 Heavy Crystal Table Lighter Electric And Gas
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Vintage antique crystal tabletop gas and electric lighter. In great condition. This exquisite Lighter is a testament to the opulence and craftsmanship of the mid 20th century. The b...
Crystal, Metal
20th Century Cat Musician playing Cymbal Austrian Vienna Bronze Miniature Figure
By Franz Xaver Bergman (Bergmann)
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic 1910s Vienna bronze figurine, expertly crafted and beautifully detailed in the tradition of Austrian cold-painted bronzes. This charming polychromed bronze sculpture showcase...
Bronze
Small Hans Müller Art Nouveau Bronze Cabinet Sculpture/Bust of a Half-Clad Woman
By Hans Muller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine, small-scale antique Art Nouveau cabinet bronze. In the form of a half-naked young woman in three-quarter profile. Likely an allegory to Summer or The Harvest (or possibly a...
Bronze
Pierrot Under the Moon Sculpture, Polychrome Plaster, France, ca. 1900
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Pierrot Under the Moon Sculpture, France, circa 1900 A rare and poetic French Art Nouveau sculpture depicting Pierrot seated beneath a crescent moon, playing his mandolin in a dream...
Mirror, Plaster
Owl misteltoe figurine porcelain Hutschenreuther art dep Prof. Klee 1918 Germany
By Professor Fritz Klee, Lorenz Hutschenreuther
Located in Wien, AT
Wonderful perfectly preserved owl sculpture on a pedestal, made of white porcelain, partly gilded, handmade in the world famous German porcelain manufactory Hutschenreuther. The pol...
Porcelain
Alabaster Bust Young Girl by Gustave Van Vaerenbergh, Belgian Art Nouveau, 1900s
Located in Benalmadena, ES
This alabaster bust was carved by the Belgian sculptor Gustave Van Vaerenbergh (1873–1927) in the 1900s, during the Art Nouveau period in which he built his reputation. Van Vaerenber...
Alabaster
Early 20th Century Porcelain Pig
Located in Barcelona, ES
Early 20th century porcelain pig. Beautifully patinated and crackled creamy white glaze. Quite possibly an old piggy bank, fed through bottom since slot ...
Porcelain
Mid 19th Century French Animalier Bronze entitled "L'Accolade" by P J Mêne
Located in London, GB
A exquisite mid 19th Century Animalier bronze study of a spirited stallion and a tetchy mare, the bronze with fabulous rich chestnut brown patina rubbed in areas to a golden hue and ...
Bronze
Franz Bergman Vienna Bronze Lizard Sculpture, Cold-Painted, 1900s
Located in Malmö, SE
A remarkably lifelike Vienna bronze lizard produced in the workshops of Franz Bergmann in Vienna during the early twentieth century. Among the mo...
Bronze
Austrian Naughty Bronze, Girl's Dress Lifts Up ca.1920, by Bergman Foundry
Located in Petaluma, CA
This wonderful, whimsical, and naughty bronze by the Bergman Foundry is a real joy. Highly detailed casting and meticulously painted bronze has the added feature of a toy, you can p...
Bronze
$333Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Finely Crafted Elephant Porcelain Figurine Art Nouveau
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A naturalistic shaped and fine detailed elephant figurine from the Art Nouve era dating to around 1910. The elephant is marked with a green unidetified manufacturer's mark.
Porcelain
French Art Nouveau Bronze Cendrillon Bust by Emmanuel Villanis, 1900
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
A finely modelled French Art Nouveau bronze bust of "Cendrillon" by Emmanuel Villanis, France, circa 1900. This compact patinated bronze depicts the romantic heroine Cinderella as a ...
Bronze
Woman with mirror Sculpture in Marble Sign: Prof. Jory
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Woman with mirror Sculpture in Marble Design: Prof. Jory Galleria Lapini Firenze Sold by: Casa Bellas artes Av. de Mayo 625 "Toilette" refers to a classic thematic genre that depi...
Marble
Patinated Antique Art Nouveau "Shy Girl" Bronze by Georges Van der Straeten
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous art nouveau "Shy Girl" bronze by Georges Van der Straeten for Société des Bronzes de Paris, circa 1900s. The bust has wonderful detail and is in very good vintage condition ...
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Dachshund Dog Family Puppies Austrian Miniature Figurine Antique
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic early 20th Century figurine, expertly crafted and beautifully detailed in the tradition of Austrian bronzes. This charming figurine showcases the exceptional artistry for whi...
Metal
Daum Art Glass Green Dague Decorative Object, France
By Daum
Located in Rijssen, NL
Luxury at its finest, high-end art glass green dague by Daum, France. A beautiful green dague. On top of the dague, there is a head of a horse looking downward. We have another dagu...
Art Glass
Large Art Nouveau Terracotta Sculpture "Zeus & Io" by Kai Nielsen, Denmark
By Kai Nielsen, Kähler
Located in Odense, DK
Monumental sculpture by Danish artist Kai Nielsen made in 1922 at "Kähler" workshop ("HAK"). The sculpture depicts a scene from the Ancient Greek legend of "Zeus & Io". It is made fr...
Earthenware, Terracotta
Art Nouveau Nymph Sculpture by Hippolyte François Moreau (1832-1927), circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Hippolyte François Moreau (1832–1927) Large White Carrare Marble Sculpture of an Art Nouveau Nymph, circa 1890-1900 A magnificent carved white Carr...
Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble
1920s Golf Player Harry Vardon Bronze Statue, Richard Thuss, Argentor Vienna
Located in Vienna, AT
A stunning antique early 20th-century Austrian Art Nouveau bronze portrait figurine / sculpture depicting the renowned golfer Harry Vardon, titled "Joueur au Golf". This piece is dat...
Marble, Bronze
Bust, Sculpture of a Woman in White Carrara Marble, Circa 1900.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sculpture of a bust of a young woman in white Carrara marble by Adolfo Cipriani, circa 1900, Art Nouveau period. H: 59cm, W: 30cm, D: 20cm Please contact us before ordering to con...
Marble
20th Century Cat Musician Vocalist Austrian Vienna Bronze Miniature Figure
By Franz Xaver Bergman (Bergmann)
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic 1910s Vienna bronze figurine, expertly crafted and beautifully detailed in the tradition of Austrian cold-painted bronzes. This charming polychromed bronze sculpture showcase...
Bronze
Bibendum Michelin Man Bronze Car Mascot, Hood Ornament, Automobilia, France 1909
By Michelin Man
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Bibendum Michelin Man Bronze Car Mascot, Hood Ornament, Automobilia, France 1909. This is a highly collectible Bibendum Michelin Man bronze car mascot, Hood Ornament, Mascotte Voitur...
Bronze
Lukáš Houdek Nautilus Polished Natural Shell and Glass Vase
Located in Prague, CZ
For centuries, the polished nautilus shell ranked among the most coveted objects in the European Wunderkammer — its perfect logarithmic spiral so extraordinary that Renaissance golds...
Shell, Glass
Emmanuel Villanis Style Art Nouveau French Virgin Mary Sculpture w/ Marble Base
Located in Van Nuys, CA
A turn of the 20th century Emmanuel Villanis styled Virgin Mary bust sculpture exudes the ethereal grace reminiscent of the virgin saint in an Art Nou...
Marble, Bronze
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
Art Nouveau House Numbers Bronze Made after Hector Guimard Designs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Art Nouveau bronze numbers cast in bronze from the design of Hector Grimard from France. They are priced ( Each ) We have many of them . Let us know which one's you are interested ...
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Pate de Verre Glass Sculpture "Frog on a Lilypad" by Daum Glass
By Daum
Located in London, GB
A delightful mid 20th Century French Pate-de-Verre study of a seated frog on a lily pad with eye catching colour and good tactile surface detail, signed Daum France ADDITIONAL INFOR...
Glass
Franz Bergman Vienna Bronze Lizard Sculpture, Cold-Painted, 1900s
Located in Malmö, SE
Franz Bergman Vienna Bronze Lizard, Early 20th Century A remarkably lifelike Vienna bronze lizard produced by the workshops of Franz Bergman, Vienna, in the early 20th century. Amo...
Bronze
Two Columns with Heron and Planter in the Style of Delphin Massier
Located in Antwerp, BE
This column surmounted by a vase decorated with flowers is reminiscent of the Mediterranean Majolica tradition. This piece is typical in the style of Delphin Massier’s, established i...
Ceramic
Michael Powolny Four Seasons Putti Sculpture, Glazed Ceramic, 1906
By Wiener Keramik Werkstätte, Michael Powolny
Located in Klosterneuburg, AT
four seasons Putti, Michael Powolny, Wiener Keramik, ca. 1906 Michael Powolny's renowned design is one of the most famous example of Jugendstil ceramics. They were produced by Wiene...
Ceramic
1 of the 2 Pate de Verre Bulldog Sculptures by Daum, France
By Daum
Located in Rijssen, NL
Luxury at its finest, high-end glass sculpture by Daum, France. The sculptures in the image are bulldogs created by Daum Frères in the late 20th century, around 1980. It was produce...
Art Glass
Antoni Gaudí Door Knob N.3, Solid Brass, Jugendstil Design, Spain
By BD Art Editions, Antoni Gaudí, BD Barcelona Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Solid cast brass with polished finish. An exact reproduction in both form and material original metalwork fittings designed by Antoni Gaudí for various of his works of architecture....
Brass
Limited Edition 20th Century Crystal Glass "Moineau Moqueur" by Marc Lalique
By Marc Lalique
Located in London, GB
An excellent mid 20th Century clear and frosted glass figure of a crouched sparrow with its head and tail turned upwards exhibiting good hand finished detail, signed Lalique France ...
Glass
11.25" Blind Justice Bronze on Marble Base by Alois Mayer
By Alois Mayer
Located in Pasadena, TX
This bronze by Alois Mayer is called "Blind Justice". It stands !!.25" tall and rest on a green marble base. Its signed on the back.
Marble, Bronze
Goebel Porcelain Hand Painted Bird Figurine of a Pied Wagtail
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Goebel porcelain figurine of a Pied Wagtail bird. It depicts a very well done hand painted black, brown, gray blue and white, Wagtail bird. It has the Goebel hallmark plus ...
Porcelain
Jugendstil J.P. Kayser Inkstand / Inkwell with Great Hamlet & Skull Sculpture
By Hugo Leven, J.P. Kayser Sohn
Located in Lisse, NL
Stunning and important Kayserzinn pewter inkwell, designed by Hugo Leven. Who, in this day and age, would ask a top quality sculptor to design and execute a stunning sculpture with ...
Metal
$19,250Sale Price|30% Off
Italian Neoclassical 19th Century White Carrara Marble Sculpture Guglielmo Pugi
Located in Miami, FL
Important 19th century sculpture carved on white Carrara marble. The female figure is dressed in a stunning Art Nouveau costume and rests on a pyramidal-shaped pedestal. Magnificent ...
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century Cupid Cherub Angel Figurine Austrian Vienna Bronze Miniature
By Franz Xaver Bergman (Bergmann)
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic late 1890s Vienna bronze figurine, expertly crafted and beautifully detailed in the tradition of Austrian cold-painted bronzes. This charming polychromed bronze sculpture sho...
Bronze
Art Nouveau pewter Sculpture lady with casket by Mattei France 1900
By Louis Octave Mattei (
Located in Antwerp, BE
Exquisite Art Nouveau sculpture of a lady holding a casket, created by French artist Louis Octave Mattei (1877-1918). Crafted in pewter, signed Lo. Mattei, this elegant sculpture mea...
Pewter
$7,000
Symbolist Cat
By Zsolnay
Located in Palm Beach, FL
"It is easy to understand why the rabble dislike cats. A cat is beautiful; it suggests ideas of luxury, cleanliness, and voluptuous pleasures." - Charles Baudelaire Iridescence, which changes in every angle of reflected light, is the perfect complement to a cat’s capricious nature. Zsolnay introduced its patented shiny metallic glaze, known as eosin, in 1893. The small family ceramics workshop begun in Pecs, Hungary by Miklos Zsolnay in 1853 had evolved into a world-class ceramics factory by this time. Zsolnay walked away with the Grand Prix at the 1878 World’s Fair in Paris for its art pottery. Under the stewardship of Vilmos Zsolnay...
Earthenware, Porcelain
Art Nouveau Gold-Patinated Bronze Bust/Seal 'La Poésie' Signed by Lecci, France
Located in North Miami, FL
Art Nouveau golden patinated bronze bust model/seal with acrylic base 'La Poésie' signed by Lecci, exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français, Paris 1910 By: Lecci Material: coppe...
Metal, Bronze, Copper
20th Century Cat Musician playing Cello Austrian Vienna Bronze Miniature Figure
By Franz Xaver Bergman (Bergmann)
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic 1910s Vienna bronze figurine, expertly crafted and beautifully detailed in the tradition of Austrian cold-painted bronzes. This charming polychromed bronze sculpture showcase...
Bronze
20th Century Dachshund Dog Austrian Bronze Miniature Figurine Antique
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic early 20th Century figurine, expertly crafted and beautifully detailed in the tradition of Austrian bronzes. This charming figurine showcases the exceptional artistry for whi...
Metal, Bronze
$2,182Sale Price|30% Off
Art Nouveau Faience Woman Bust by Leon Noel Delagrange, 1889
By Leon Noel Delagrange, Louchet Ciseleur
Located in Lisbon, PT
An Art Nouveau ceramic and gilded bronze feminine bust by Leon Noel Delagrange. Delagrange ceramic and bronze by the foundry Louchet Ciseleur, Paris. The bust is a maiden mounted ...
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Art Nouveau Bronze figure "Slave Girl" by Emmanuel Villanis
Located in London, GB
A beautiful patinated Art Nouveau bronze study of a young Art Nouveau beauty sat upon a wall wearing chains with excellent variegated rich brown patina and excellent hand chased surf...
Bronze
Early 20th Century Porcelain Girl Bust signed Georges Rogron Antique, 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Art Nouveau white bisque porcelain girl bust with bronze fittings base. Bust of a girl with averted gaze and her hair tied up. Signed "Georges...
Bronze
20th Century Pate de Verre Glass study entitled "Papillon" by Daum Glass
By Daum
Located in London, GB
An attractive mid 20th Century pate de verre glass study of butterfly rested on a rose with excellent detail and very fine vibrant colour, signed Daum France ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ...
Glass
Art Nouveau "Mounted Amazon" bronze sculpture by Franz von Stuck
Located in Palm Beach, FL
FRANZ VON STUCK (German, 1863-1928) There is a tension between the Apollonian and Dionysian in Stuck’s work. Nietzsche’s contemporary and a kindred spirit, Stuck valiantly searched f...
Bronze