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
Early 20th Cent Elegant Dance Ball Bird Couple Austrian Vienna Bronze Miniature
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
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
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
$574Sale 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
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
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
$1,261Sale Price|25% Off
French Art Deco Silvered Bronze Sculpture Figure c.1930 Arts & Crafts Décor
Located in London, GB
French Art Deco Silvered Bronze Figure by H. Molins, c.1930 A striking French Art Deco silvered bronze figure by the sculptor H. Molins, dating to around the 1930s. The piece depict...
Metal
Early 20th Century Pug Dog Musician 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
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
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
Daum Art Glass Angel Sculpture Myth, Red Brown, France 1970
By Daum
Located in Rijssen, NL
Luxury at its finest, high-end glass angel myth sculpture by Daum, France. The angel - made out of art glass - is sitting, with one knee raised. A beautiful sculpture. The sculptur...
Art Glass
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
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
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
Owl misteltoe figurine porcelain Hutschenreuther art dep Prof. Klee 1918 Germany
By Lorenz Hutschenreuther, Professor Fritz Klee
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
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
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
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
French Art Nouveau Cast Bronze Crown Sculpture Fragment w Opaline Glass
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
As found, a very charming crown fragment featuring opaline glass panels. We believe this very sturdy fragment was originally part of a light fixture or pendant light. This fragment s...
Metal, Bronze
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
$2,122Sale Price|30% Off
Art Nouveau Faience Woman Bust by Leon Noel Delagrange, 1889
By Louchet Ciseleur, Leon Noel Delagrange
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
Art Nouveau Bronze Cherub on Cloud Mounted on Marble Socle by Emannuel Villanis
Located in San Diego, CA
Art Nouveau Bronze Cherub on Cloud Mounted on Marble Socle by Emannuel Villanis, circa 1890 - 1905. A charming late 19th-century bronze sculpture by Villanis depicting a delicately m...
Marble, Bronze
Art Nouveau Metal and Oak Figural Wall Plaque
Located in Queens, NY
Art Nouveau metal wall plaque featuring an image of a woman playing a harp with a natural green patina, mounted in a rectangular oak frame.
Metal
Dolphin Fish Metal Bronze Door Stop, Art Nouveau Vintage European 1920s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A beautiful and substantial Nautical, cast metal, antique doorstop with original patina finish. Depicting a mythological grotto dolphin style sea ser...
Metal, 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
Large French Belle Époque Crackle-Glazed Terracotta Sculpture Bacchante, Ca.1890
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
A striking and unusually large French Belle Époque terracotta sculpture depicting a Bacchante, created circa 1890 by the French sculptor Lucien Pallez (1853–1933). Executed in terra...
Terracotta
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
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
Edgar Brandt Style Hand Forged Iron Snake or Serpent Sculpture, Austria, 1920s
By Edgar Brandt
Located in Vienna, AT
A wrought iron Art Nouveau era model of a snake / serpent. High-quality craftsmanship, handmade of forged iron by a Viennese metalworker in the 1920s. A decorative object, which would look great in your shelf, but also suitable as a paperweight, a jewelry ring holder...
Iron, Wrought Iron
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
$7,609Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Large Bronze Sculpture Daphne by Jules Dercheu, France, circa 1900
By Jules Dercheu
Located in Bochum, NRW
Jules Alfred Alexandre Dercheu (1864-1912), Daphné followed by Apollo. Bronze statuette with yellow, brown and gold patina, signed to the base, mounted on a round plinth of sea-gree...
Marble, Bronze
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
Vintage Royal Haeger "Mother and Child" Pale Pink Ceramic Statue Sculpture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Royal Haeger "Mother and Child" Ceramic Statue Sculpture - Pale Pink. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: 11.5" H x 14" W x 5.5" D.
Ceramic
Majolica Stork Vase Delphin Massier, circa 1890
Located in Austin, TX
Elegant and rare Majolica stork with a bamboo vase signed Delphin Massier, circa 1890. The Massier are known for the quality of their unique enamels an...
Majolica
Handcrafted Golden First Gramophone Model after Emil Berliner 1887, Germany
Located in Hannover, DE
A special musical design object for lovers of music and transforming technology. This is a handcrafted model of the first gramophone, elaborately crafted and true to detail despite ...
Metal, Gold Plate
Lukáš Houdek Ariel Pearl Polished Natural Shell Glass - Short
Located in Prague, CZ
Inspired by the rebellious Ariel from The Little Mermaid, whose greatest wish was to become part of the human world. Artisème in collaboration with Lukáš Houdek brings these beautifu...
Shell, Glass
Antique Porcelain Ceramic Wall Plaque Emmeline Harris Female Nude Art Nouveau
Located in Dublin, Ireland
An exceptionally well cast English Porcelain or Ceramic Wall Plaque depicting a standing Female Nude holding a ball, nicely cast is high relief. Signed and dated lower right 1917. ...
Porcelain, Plaster
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
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
$324Sale 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
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
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
"Honoring Svatopluk Čech", Art Nouveau Relief Plaque w/ Male & Female Nudes
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This fine and unusual example of Czech Art Nouveau sculpture -- complete with male and female nudes in profile, and a border of pine branches -- features at its center a portrait of ...
Pewter
$1,276Sale Price|40% Off
Ernest-Justin Ferrand Female "Coup de Soleil" Zamac Sculpture Table Lamp
Located in Van Nuys, CA
A bronze alloy Art Nouveau woman entitled "Coup de soleil" table lamp, Signed Ferrand (1846-1932). The sculpture features a thinly dressed nymph with a branching Art Nouveau-style fl...
Metal
Auguste Moreau (1834-1917) Fine French 19th-20th Century Figure of a Nude Maiden
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Auguste Moreau (1834 - 1917) A Very Fine French 19th-20th Century Art-Nouveau Patinated Bronze figure of Iris, depicting a graceful nude maiden Iris. The female nude figure is modele...
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Michelin 1910 Slim-Skinny Bibendum Bronze Car Mascot Hood Ornament
By Michelin Man
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
An early 'Bibendum Protégé' Car mascot - Hood Ornament, French, circa 1910, Nickel-plated bronze figure of a 'slim' Mr. Bibendum, mounted on wooden black base. Perfect for any Classi...
Bronze
Daum Art Glass Dragon Crystal Ball Decorative Object, France
By Daum
Located in Rijssen, NL
Luxury at its finest, high-end glass ball with a dragon by Daum, France. A delicate crystal ball with a dragon on top of it - made out of art glass. Founded in 1878 in Nancy, Franc...
Art 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
Large Art Nouveau Terracotta Sculpture "Zeus & Io" by Kai Nielsen, Denmark
By Kähler, Kai Nielsen
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
Antoni Gaudí Door Knob N.3, Solid Brass, Jugendstil Design, Spain
By Antoni Gaudí, BD Art Editions, 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
Austrian Erotic and Naughty Bronze "Treasure Seeker" Carl Kauba, Boy Finds Gold!
By Carl Kauba
Located in Petaluma, CA
This whimsical and sexy bronze (titled Treasure Seeker) was done by the noted Austrian Sculptor of many unusual and sexy and erotic bronzes, Carl Kauba. Signed on the base, and hav...
Bronze
Signed French Art Nouveau Nude Figural Sculpture on Sienna Marble Base
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A signed French Art Nouveau figural sculpture depicting a nude female figure in a graceful, dynamic pose, set on a sienna marble base. The figure is modeled with one arm arched overh...
Siena Marble, Bronze
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
20th Cent Cat Musician Miniature Figure, Silver Plate Austria
Located in Nuernberg, DE
20th Century Silver plate Figurine, Austria A refined 20th century silver plate figurine, crafted with elegant detailing and timeless appeal. This piece is not marked, but is indica...
Silver Plate
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
$2,497Sale Price|30% Off
Art Nouveau Figurine, Figural Tray Maiden & Lily Pads, Ernst Wahliss
Located in Lisbon, PT
An extraordinary Secession Style Ernst Wahliss hand-painted porcelain figurine tray with an elegant seated maiden flanked by a green lilypad. Made in Teplitz, Austria, circa 1891. ...
Porcelain
Lalique Crystal Female Figurative Sculpture, from Paris, France, circa 1970s
By Lalique
Located in New York, NY
A French Lalique crystal female figurative sculpture piece, circa 1970's, France. A nude crystal female figure sculpture on black glass ba...
Crystal
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