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Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

ART NOUVEAU STYLE

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

  • Sinuous, organic and flowing lines
  • Forms that mimic flowers and plant life
  • Decorative inlays and ornate carvings of natural-world motifs such as insects and animals 
  • Use of hardwoods such as oak, mahogany and rosewood

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.

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Style: Art Nouveau
Vilhelm Lauritzen Set of Four Indoor / Outdoor Airport Sconces by Louis Poulsen
Located in Knebel, DK
Set of 4 Wilhelm Lauritzen "Airport" indoor / outdoor sconces originally designed for the new Kastrup airport building in Copenhagen in 1936. The building is today legendary and prot...
Category

1930s Danish Vintage Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Aluminum

Art Nouveau Wrought Iron Wall Sconces - a Pair
Located in Sarasota, FL
A beautiful pair of Art Nouveau period wall sconces made of wrought iron. Eight scrolled arms are decorated with flowers and foliage. Recently rewired.
Category

Early 1900s European Antique Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Wrought Iron

Black secession wall lamp
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Black secession wall lamp with hammered decor and glass globe lampshade. Professionally stained and repolished, new wires.
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Metal

Pair of Gilt Bronze Wall Sconces
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Extraordinary Pair of Gilt Bronze Wall Sconces. Great Quality. 5 lights each. France, circa 1920. Dimensions: Height 38" Width 1...
Category

1920s French Vintage Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Gilt Bronze Art Nouveau Bullrush Sconces
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A pair of very well cast wall sconces in the shapes of bullrushes. The bronzes show signs of earlier gilding and are now a dull gold colour. Each sconce has a pair of electrified dec...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze

Pair of French Art Nouveau Copper Fleur de Lis Wall Sconces
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French Art Nouveau copper wall sconces with a single arm and gilt fleur de lis front panels and shades. (PRICED AS Pair)
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Copper

Large Austrian Art Nouveau Wall Lamp
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Imposante Wandlampe aus der Zeit um 1905. Massiver Bronzeguß. 3 Opalglas Lampen. 3 Sockel E27
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Opal, Brass

Three Midcentury Wall Lights by Tommaso Barbi and Carlo Giorgi for G&G Disegni
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
A set of three Italian wall lights by Tommaso Barbi, circa 1970applied labels inscribed G &G Studio Disegni, solid brass hand shaped brass fittings, the shades in the shape of leaves...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Brass

Wonderful Art Nouveau Wall Lamp by Loetz
Located in Munich, DE
Wonderful Art Nouveau wall lamp by Loetz. Typical design of it´s age. Needs new wiring.
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Blown Glass

Large Pair of 1970s Banci Firenze Wall Sconces
Located in London, GB
This large pair of decorative wall sconces were made by Banci, Firenze in the 1970s. Using gilt metal, glass, crystal and beads - the design is intricate and detailed and the resul...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Metal

Black Iron + Glass Wall Sconce, France 1950s - 2 Available
Located in Chicago, IL
An elegant 1950s French black iron wall sconce featuring intricate scrollwork and a beautiful natural, aged patina. The two-arm silhouette is adorned with brass candle covers, a cent...
Category

1950s French Vintage Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Iron

1920's Brown Patined Bronze One Light Sconces
Located in New York, NY
A pair of circa 1920's brown patinated bronze sconces with one light
Category

1920s American Vintage Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze

Unusual Pair of Large Sconces 'Early 20th' with Albarelli '18th', Italy
Located in Walkertshofen, BY
Absolutely unusual pair of silvered and wrought iron sconces with inserted albarelli. The iron arms end with electrified rosebuds. The albarelli decorated with figures and landscapes...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Iron, Wrought Iron

Coloured Wall Appliques
Located in Washington, DC
A pair of rare colored wall appliqués from 1900 period France.
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Metal

Hand-Hammered Brass and Opaline Sconce, c. 1940
Located in New York City, NY
Hand-Hammered Brass and Opaline Sconce, Italy, c. 1940 Poetic, art-nouveau style sconces with beautifully patinated brass and cast opaline glass which throws light beautifully. Eleg...
Category

20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Brass

Art Nouveau wall lights and sconces for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Art Nouveau wall lights and sconces for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage wall lights and sconces created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects, mirrors and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, brass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Art Nouveau wall lights and sconces made in a specific country, there are Europe, Austria, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original wall lights and sconces, popular names associated with this style include Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte, and Adolf Loos. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for wall lights and sconces differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $273 and tops out at $400,000 while the average work can sell for $2,800.

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