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.
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
Art Deco stool by Jindrich Halabala in Red Dedar Velvet
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
This early 20th-century stool is a refined example of Czechoslovak Art Deco design, bearing the signature of Jindřich Halabala and UP Závody. The solid beechwood construction ensures...
Velvet
Mid-Century Modern Bentwood Bar Stools in Thonet Style, Italy 80s, Set of 3
By Thonet
Located in Lucija, SI
Nice set of three benrwood bar stools in Thonet style. They were made in the 80s in Italy
Cane, Bentwood
Original J.&J. Kohn Piano Stool, Early 20. Century
Located in Schwerin, MV
Bentwood piano stool from the late 19th or early 20th century, made by Jacob & Josef Kohn (Austria-Hungary). Kohn was a competitor of Thonet, and after World War I, during the Great ...
Wood
$1,932 / set
Set of 3 Thonet Style Bar Stools, Italy 60s
By Thonet
Located in Lucija, SI
Set of three mid century bar stools in Thonet style. Handmade seats Made in Italy in the 60s
Cane, Bentwood
Stool Thonet, circa 1902 - Otto Wagner
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Vienna Secession. Stool derived from the chairs designed by Otto Wagner for the Österreichische Postsparkasse in 1902. Not found in the period catalogue. In original condition with a...
Beech, Bentwood
Savonarola Style Curved Stool
Located in New York, US
Art Nouveau Savonarola Style Stool
Wood
Original of the Time, Rare J.&J. Thonet Stool, Late 19th Century, 1880
By Woka Lamps, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
Wonderful and rare Thonet stool, published already in the 1888 Thonet Catalogue on page 23 as Salon-Stockerl Nr 5 zum Polstern Material Beechwood black stained with gold colored not...
Fabric, Beech
Classic Thonet Style Bentwood and Cane Bar / Counter Stools
By Thonet
Located in Buffalo, NY
Pair of mid-20th Century Thonet style bentwood cane bar stools with back rests. Tall, counter height stools with footrest. Both stools try in very good condition, solid with no issue...
Cane, Bentwood
Jugendstil Wooden Stool
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
This wooden stool can be dated in the early 20th century. It is created in a sober style with Jugendstil influences. The stool is in very good authentic condition.
Wood
Thonet Art Nouveau Bentwood Shoe Shine or Fitting Stool, Vienna, Austria, 1900s
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare Jugendstil / Art Nouveau shoe store fitter’s stool with seat, dating from around 1900–1910, once used in a traditional shoe shop of the early 20th century. Crafted from beech...
Wood, Beech, Bentwood
$6,654 / set
Pair of Josef Hoffmann Attr. Stools
Located in Vienna, AT
Pair of puristic stools, ebonized beech wood.
Beech
Antoni Gaudí Calvet Stool by BD Barcelona Design, Varnished Oak
By BD Barcelona Design, Antoni Gaudí
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Stool designed by Antoni Gaudi manufactured by BD Design. Solid varnished oak. Measures: 41 x 58 x 65 H cm Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) is, without doubt, the most international...
Oak
Jugendstil Beech Thonet Shoe Stool by Josef Hoffmann, circa 1907, Vienna
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugenstil vintage stool from beech bentwood by Josef Hoffmann designed circa 1907 and executed by Gebr. Thonet Vienna. A fantastic stool for shoe lovers b...
Bentwood
Original Adolf Loos Thebes Stool
By Woka Lamps, Adolf Loos, Friedrich Otto Schmidt
Located in Vienna, AT
Wohnung Dr. Otto und Auguste Stoessl, Wien XIII, Auhofstr. 235, um 1900-02 Wohnung Haberfeld Manufacturer Friedricht Otto Schmidt Lit.: Rukschcio, Schachel, Adolf Loos, S. 32 und 7...
Beech
Pair of Ceramic Stools, circa 1900, France
Located in Girona, Spain
DESCRIPTION: Pair of ceramic stools made with ceramic. It was made circa 1900 in France and they are in the style of Brighton Pavilion. The mate...
Ceramic
1890-1900 Liberty & Co "Thebes" Wood Stool
Located in Brescia, IT
CIRCA 1890 Curved seat frame on four turned legs united by stretchers, with interlaced seat Excellent condition.
Wood
Original Josef Hoffmann Stool, Prag Rudniker Wicker-Fabrication
Located in Vienna, AT
Expertise Dr Gerti Draxler Dorotheum Wien, aus einer Sitzgruppe im Salon des Haus Biach, 1902-03, comparable to : Hocker Alexander Brauner, Hohe Warte 1904, Wiener Werkstaette Muster...
Wicker, Beech
$1,401Sale Price|20% Off
Fruitwood Art Nouveau Kerfschnitt Stool or Side Table, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and rare Art Nouveau Kerfschnitt stool or side table. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid fruitwood base and top with original hand-carved Kerfschnitt decorative ele...
Fruitwood
Miniature Stool or Vanity Jewelry Stand, Upholstered Seat in Burlap Fabric
Located in Barcelona, ES
Small Stool, Carved Wood, Burlap Fabric, Spain, 1930s. A lovely Art Nouveau style miniature stool made in carved wood with black painted finish uphols...
Fabric, Wood
Extremely Rare Bentwood /cane Stools #18.5 by Michael Thonet, , Vienna 1920s
Located in Buffalo, NY
This exceptional set of four bentwood beech stools, produced by the renowned manufacturer Thonet, features the seldom seen Model 18.5, Designed by Michael Thonet himself in the 19th...
Cane, Bentwood
Thonet Piano Stool 1900s
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet Piano Stool 1900s
Wood
Antoni Gaudí Calvet Stool by BD Barcelona Design, Solid Oak, Spain
By BD Barcelona Design, Antoni Gaudí
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Stool designed by Antoni Gaudi manufactured by BD Design. Solid varnished oak. Measures: 41 x 58 x 65 H cm Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) is, without doubt, the most internationally wel...
Oak
Gustavian Antique, Round Stool, Swedish Cabinetmaker, Late 18th Century
Located in Odense, DK
Such a beautiful rare and original gustavian stool, made in giltwood with horsehair upholstered seat. Made in by a Swedish cabinetmaker in the late 18th century. A great vintage o...
Giltwood
J.&J. Kohn - Josef Hoffmann - Stool - Beech
By Josef Hoffmann, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Budapest, HU
Crafted circa 1900 by the renowned J.&J. Kohn, this striking stool, designed by the visionary Josef Hoffmann, stands as a paragon of early modernist design from the Viennese Secessio...
Fabric, Beech
Small Ornate Spanish Gilt Iron Bench
Located in Buchanan, NY
A unique Spanish gilt iron bench with an ornate base. Add a vintage touch to your space with this exquisite small gilt iron bench from Spain. Dating back to the 1950s, the ornate bas...
Iron
Original Thonet Piano Stool, Early 20th Century, Restaured
By Thonet
Located in Schwerin, MV
Restored piano stool from the traditional company Gebrüder Thonet, Vienna from the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century. The piano stool is made of solid wood and has a f...
Wood, Braid
French Art Deco, Sculptural Stool with Storage, Reupholstered, Made in the 1940s
Located in Odense, DK
A luxurious square Art Deco stool with a fine storage room underneath the seat. Birch veenered and reupholstered a glamorous vintage fabric from the 1990s. Made by a French cabinetma...
Wood, Fabric, Birch
Calvet Stool by Antoni Gaudí solid varnished oak
By Antoni Gaudí
Located in Barcelona, ES
Solid varnished oak. A company that has always attributed such great importance to the author of the designs could never forget the great figures in history. That is why the BD catalogue of contemporary creations has always included those by admired classical masters. Antoni Gaudí...
Oak
Bentwood piano chair by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bentwood piano chair by Thonet, professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
Wooden Stool Fischel, in Style of Thonet, circa 1910's
By Fischel
Located in Praha, CZ
- made in Czechoslovakia - made of wood - good, original condition.
Wood
Vintage Bar Stools done in Beech Benrwood by Mundus, Yugoslavia 1970s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find vintage bar stools done in Beech Bentwood, manufactured by Mundus. Chairs are painted in dark brown, nearly black colour. Made in Yugoslavia in 1970s. ...
Beech, Bentwood
Antoni Gaudí Calvet Stool by BD Barcelona Design, Varnished Oak
By Antoni Gaudí, BD Barcelona Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Stool designed by Antoni Gaudi manufactured by BD Design. Solid varnished oak. Measures: 41 x 58 x 65 H cm Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) is, without doubt, the most international...
Oak
Bench-seat for hall, France, ca. 1920.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Bench/seat for hall, France, ca. 1920. Very good condition. wood: walnut dimensions: height 67 cm seat height 44 cm width 72 cm depth 44 cm
Walnut
Art Nouveau Style Vintage Brown Beech Woven Cane Stool August Thonet 1870 - 1880
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Nouveau Style vintage modernist stool model No. 51 from beech bentwood and woven cane by August Thonet 1870 - 1880, Vienna. A beautiful stool and early model from Viennese mesh a...
Beech
Antique Hand Carved Coffee Table with 6 Stools by Ettore Zacchari, Italy, 1900s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an extremally rare Antique Wooden Hand-carved Coffee Table with the belonging set of 6 tripod stools done by Ettore Z...
Oak
Antique Bentwood Piano Stool by J.J. Kohn, Austria 1900s
By Thonet
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an antique black lacquer piano stool manufactured by J.J. Kohn. The stool is done in beech bentwood, with the plywood seat. It is fully refinished. The ...
Beech
Victorian Art Nouveau Upholstered Foot Stool A Lovely piece
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Victorian Art Nouveau Upholstered Foot Stool A Lovely piece, this Victorian stool is made inWalnut, it stands on chunky cabriole legs and has been upholstered in an extra thick He...
Walnut
Rare Stool Thonet Nr. 51, since 1885
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, August Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
A rare variant of a swivel stool. Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. Newly restored. New canning in seat.
Bentwood
French Art Deco Low Foot Stool with Vintage Upholstery Made in the 1940s
Located in Odense, DK
A charming low Art Deco stool with a rectangle form. Crafted in the 1940s by a French cabinetmaker, the piece is made from elm wood and upholstered in a blue vintage fabric adorned w...
Fabric, Wood, Elm
Elegant Victorian Art Nouveau Walnut Occasional Stool
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Elegant Victorian Art Nouveau walnut occasional stool. This is a lovely quality stool is made in walnut and set on cabriole legs with attractive sc...
Walnut
Wooden Arts and crafts Jugenstil Piano Stool with hidden storage and Fabric seat
Located in Den Haag, NL
Wooden Arts and crafts Jugenstil Piano Stool with hidden storage
Wood
Original Otto Prutscher by Gebrüder Thonet Chair, 1908
By Otto Prutscher, Woka Lamps, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
An extremely rare Thonet chair, designed by Otto Prutscher for a Villa in Jägerndorf - Literatur: Innendekoration 1917 - Measure: Seat height 50cm.
Bentwood
Antique Cushioned Stool, English, Ebonised, Footstool, Art Nouveau, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique cushioned stool. An English, ebonised mahogany footstool with Art Nouveau taste, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1895. Striking ebonised appearance wit...
Textile, Wood
Jugendstil Stool in beech and mahogany attr. to Otto Wagner, Austria 1910s
By Otto Wagner
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a stunning Jugendstil stool who's design is attr. to Otto Wagner. Attribution is decided due to distinct shape of the legs, Wagner's trade mark. Stool i...
Fabric, Beech, Mahogany
Otto Wagner Jugendstil Stool J.J. Kohn #715
By Otto Wagner
Located in Sharon, CT
Important Jugenstil Bentwood Stool #715 by Otto Wagner. Designed for the Paris World Exhibition in 1900 by J.J.Kohn. Original upholstery and surface.
Birch
1900s Pair Antique Tyrolean Stool Chair in Hand-Carved Walnut Wax Polished
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Original artistic Art Nouveau antique pair Tyrolean stool chairs in hand-carved walnut, wax polished
Walnut
Italian Art Nouveau Side Chairs with Stool, Blond Walnut, Wax-Polished
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Elegant Italian Art Nouveau side chairs with stool, in blond walnut, hand carved, restored and polished with wax. Precious two-colored striped fabric in dark red velvet. Measures ...
Walnut
Vintage Mid Century Spanish Gilt Iron Bench with Ornate Base
Located in Buchanan, NY
This elegant vintage mid century Spanish gilt iron bench features an ornate base with gracefully scrolled legs and a decorative central stretcher. The rich gilt finish is hand applie...
Iron
Piano Stool Thonet Nr.1, 1920s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Height-adjustable swivel stool. The seat height is adjustable from 44 to 60 cm. Solidly constructed base, decorative lower legs. Good original condition with signs of use, patina.
Metal
$1,000
Austrian Antique Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Black lacquered mahogany wood, new reupholstered seat in leather.
Wood, Leather
Rare Piano Stool Thonet Nr.2, since 1895
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Praha, CZ
A rare variant of a swivel stool. Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet Company. Original state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shellac...
Bentwood
Jugendstil Thonet Brown Beech Shoe Stool by Josef Hoffmann attr. c 1907, Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil Thonet brown beech shoe stool was designed circa 1907 and executed by Gebr. Thonet Vienna attributed to Josef Hoffmann. A gorgeous Jugendstil sho...
Beech
Vintage French Art Nouveau Style Scrolling Wrought Iron Stools - a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage French Art Nouveau Style Scrolling Wrought Iron Stools - a Pair. Circa Early 20th Century. Measurements: 19" H x 20.25" W x 16" D.
Wrought Iron
J.&J. Kohn - Stool - Beech
Located in Budapest, HU
J.&J. Kohn Height-Adjustable Bentwood Stool, Austria, circa 1900 A beautifully restored bentwood stool designed by J.&J. Kohn, dating to circa 1900–1905. Crafted from beech wood, st...
Leather, Beech
J.&J. Kohn - Piano stool - Beech
Located in Budapest, HU
Restored J.J. Kohn Piano Stool in Black Lacquered Beech, circa 1900 This beautifully restored piano stool by renowned Austrian furniture maker J.J. Kohn features a timeless silhouet...
Beech
Antique Bentwood Piano Stool upholstered in kilim fabric, Austria 1910s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an Antique Art Nouveau adjustable piano stool. It is done in typical Mundus manner - beech bentwood, with the round seat, which in this case was upholst...
Fabric, Bentwood
Antique seat from around 1900, Western Europe.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Seat from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Western Europe. Furniture in very good condition, after professional renovation. The seat has been covered with new fabric. Dimen...
Walnut
Jugendstil Walnut Blue Upholstery Otto Prutscher Vintage Stool Vienna circa 1900
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil vintage stool from walnut with blue upholstery design attributed to Otto Prutscher circa 1900 Vienna. This beautiful stool features solid walnut feet with grooved and flut...
Upholstery, Walnut
Art Nouveau Stool in the Style of Thonet, circa 1930
By Thonet
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Art Nouveau stool in the style of Thonet, circa 1930.
Beech