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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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 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
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
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
F. Goldscheider - large woman bust Polychrome Terracotta - Art Nouveau signed
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Beautiful terracotta bust from the factory of Friedrich Goldscheider from the art nouveau period. Girl with flowers. Polychrome terracotta It represents a female bust with her head t...
Terracotta
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
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
Rare Butterfly Porcelain China Figure by Ens Antique German 1920s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A rare butterfly made by famous porcelain manufactory Ens, Volkstedt Germany. It is made of china porcelain and very delicate, this would be a great addition for your collection. It ...
Porcelain
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
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
"Head of Medusa" Austrian Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture by Josef Müllner
By Josef Müllner
Located in Palm Beach, FL
This Medusa head was marked J. Müllner, dated 1918 and stamped ‘Österr. Gesellsch. Z. Förderung D. Medaillenkunst und Kleinplastik’, with the stamp GMK 16 and Eisengiesserei A. G. Wi...
Bronze
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
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
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
"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
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
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
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 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
Antique Austrian Franz Bergman Cold Painted Bronze Zebra Quagga Sculpture Statue
Located in Portland, OR
A fine and very rare antique Austrian Art Nouveau cold-painted bronze sculpture of a zebra or more likely a Quagga by Franz Bergman, Vienna, circa 1900. The bronze depicts a remark...
Bronze
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
Antoni Gaudí Door Knob N.3, Solid Brass, Jugendstil Design, Spain
By Antoni Gaudí, BD Barcelona Design, BD Art Editions
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
19th Century Glazed Stoneware 6-Inch Art Nouveau Tile
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A beautiful and vibrant late 19th century glazed stoneware art nouveau era 6-inch tile, ex. Michael Blood collection. Using shades of blue, ochre, green and red, this decorative ti...
Stoneware
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
Art Nouveau walking stick with greyhound bust handle, bull bone and wood, France
Located in Valladolid, ES
Elegant dark wood walking stick with an bull bone handle carved in the shape of a dog's head, a greyhound or borzoi plus a cord to secure it to the wrist. It has a slender, elongate...
Bone, Wood
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
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
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
Jugendstil J.P. Kayser Inkstand / Inkwell with Great Hamlet & Skull Sculpture
By J.P. Kayser Sohn, Hugo Leven
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
Early 20th Century Bronze entitled "Running Hare" by Andre Becquerel
Located in London, GB
A large and impressive early 20th Century Art Deco bronze modelled as a stylised running hare with very fine rich brown patina lightly rubbed on the highlights to a golden hue and wi...
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
Emmanuel Villanis Saïda Art Nouveau Bronze Bust – France 1890
Located in Antwerp, BE
An elegant and highly decorative Art Nouveau bronze bust titled ‘Saïda’, created by the celebrated French sculptor Emmanuel Villanis (1858–1914), one of the leading sculptors of the ...
Marble, Bronze
Memento Mori Bronze Vulture and Skull Sculpture by Bohuslav Schnirch
By K.K. Kunst-Erzgiesserei Wien
Located in Newark, England
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING ART NOUVEAU CIRCA 1890 From our Bronze Sculpture collection, we’re pleased to offer this patinated bronze figure of a vulture and skull by Bohuslav Schnirch...
Marble, 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
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
Antique Nymphenburg Porcelain Chick Figurine Art Nouveau, Early 20th C. Signed
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A rare and highly charming antique porcelain figurine depicting a chick, designed by Anna Soennecken-Beckmann for the renowned Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory c. 1911. Created in t...
Porcelain
Meissen Art Nouveau Figure, Boy With Drinking Dog, by Konrad Hentschel, Ca. 1905
By Meissen Porcelain, Julius Konrad Hentschel
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Nouveau Meissen porcelain figure from the time the model was created: Boy with brunette hair, dressed in typical children's clothing from around 1900 - a colourful patterned dres...
Porcelain
Antique Art Nouveau Iron Stove, Yugoslavia, 19th Century
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a stunning Antique Art Nouveau stove done in cast iron and blue enamel. These stoves were designed to be both function...
Cast Stone
Lukáš Houdek Ariel Pearl Polished Natural Shell Glass - Tall
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