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 Two Josef Hoffmann Chair No.406 Fledermaus For Jacob & Josef Kohn 1900s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Set of Two Josef Hoffmann Chair No.728 FLEDERMAUS For Jacob & Josef Kohn 1900s
Fabric, Wood
Fledermaus Bench By Josef Hoffmann No.406 For Jacob & Josef Kohn 1900s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Fledermaus Bench By Josef Hoffmann No 728 For Jacob & Josef Kohn Austria 1900s
Fabric, Wood
Rare Art Nouveau Armchair by H.P. Mutters & Zoon, Walnut Frame, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and ultra rare Art Nouveau armchair. Design by H.P. Mutters & Zoon Den Haag. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid American walnut frame with hand-carved decora...
Wicker, Walnut
$6,150
Thonet Bench 1865
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet Bench 1865
Bentwood
French Lounge Chair With Sheep Leather And Velvet In The Manner Of Louis Chambry
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
Elegant early 20th century French lounge chair, executed in the spirit of Louis Chambry, combining sculptural form with rich, tactile materials. The cha...
Leather, Velvet, Oak, Pine
Eliel Saarinen Cranbrook "The Blue Settee" Art Nouveau Settle Sofa or Bench
By Adelta, Eliel Saarinen
Located in South Bend, IN
A rare and outstanding Art Nouveau style settle sofa or bench Designed by Eliel Saarinen in 1929 Produced by Adelta Oy Finland, 1980s Painted solid birch wood frame, with sawtoot...
Upholstery, Birch, Lacquer
$3,800 / item
Early 20th Century Swedish Chaise Lounge
Located in Turners Falls, MA
Early 20th Century Swedish Chaise Lounge. Turned Beech wood legs.
Velvet, Beech
Original Josef Hoffmann, Chair, Model# 330 from 1900
Located in Vienna, AT
Exhibition: chairs for a dining room in: Winter Exhibition of the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry, Vienna, late 1901; exhibition in Saint Louis, 1904, beechwood, stained to simu...
Beech
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
Charles Rennie Mackintosh MCM Ingram Dining Chairs for Cassina, Set of 12
By Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Cassina
Located in Plainview, NY
Charles Rennie Mackintosh Ingram Art Nouveau Dining Chair for Cassina, Set of 12 This rare, collector-grade set of 12 Charles Rennie Mackintosh "Ingram" dining chairs, produced by ...
Upholstery, Wood
Original Josef Hoffmann & Kohn Jacob Chair from 1914
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Josef Hoffmann, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
A very rare undocumented chair by Josef Hoffmann and J&J Kohn. An identical chair with leather upholstery is available as well.
Bentwood
Vintage Iron Savonarola Style Italian Leather Sling Chair Set
By Curule
Located in Bensalem, PA
Please look at pictures and video for overall detail and condition. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Metal, Wrought Iron
Art Nouveau Extra Large Hall Bench, Elm and Beech, Dutch Design, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and elegant extra large Art Nouveau hall bench. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Original elm and beech base with six original wooden legs and six original wooden seats...
Beech, Elm
Pair of Danish Carved Lounge Chairs in Green Velvet, 1920s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Pair of Danish Carved Lounge Chairs in Green Velvet, 1920s. A rare set of gorgeous antique armchairs in a rich dark green velour. Jacquard woven seat with floral motifs. Wide scallo...
Velvet, Oak
Josef Hoffmann attr. Pair of Extraordinary Chairs 1905-10 Jugendstil Art Nouveau
Located in Vienna, AT
A pair of extraordinary chairs in the style of the early Josef Hoffmann furniture. The significant skids were used by Hoffmann in the early years of the Wiener Werkstätte from 1903 o...
Fabric, Wood
Fairytale Chair After Gerhard Munthe, Executed by Henrik August Vikene C.1915
By Gerhard Munthe
Located in Valby, 84
What an extraordinary and visually arresting piece — the painted heron against the radiating fan motif on the back, continuing into a second fan panel on the stretcher below, is imme...
Pine, Paint
Dryad & Co. Art and Craft Rattan Longue Chair 1920s
By Wicker Works
Located in Čelinac, BA
Dryad & Co.Art and Craft Rattan Longue Chair
Rattan
$2,348Sale Price / item|20% Off
Rare Italian Rattan and Wicker Chaise Longues , Italy 30s
Located in Lucija, SI
Rare rattan and wicker chaise longues or lounger armchair, with footstools was made in the 1930s in Italy
Wicker, Rattan
Art Nouveau Klismos Chair by Sophy A. Christensen, Denmark, C. 1905
Located in Valby, 84
Chair of klismos form in figured birch, the broad rectangular back panel painted with a scene depicting a musician playing the aulos accompanied by a dancing female figure amid styli...
Birch, Paint
An Early MODERN NEO-CLASSICAL FREE-FORM ROCKING-CHAIR by THONET, France 1900
By Thonet
Located in PARIS, FR
An important, very spectacular and charming free-form rocking-chair, Art-Nouveau, Art-Deco, Neo-Classical, Shabby-Chic, Free-Form, bamboo structures and cane seat, by Thonet, France ...
Bamboo, Cane
Lounge Chair by Unknown Designer in Oak and Leather, Sweden, 1920s
Located in Eskilstuna, SE
Rare lounge chair by an unknown designer and maker, produced in Sweden during the 1920s. Crafted in dark brown, almost black leather with a solid oak frame. Richly carved details re...
Leather, Oak
Vintage Thonet Ebonized Bentwood and Rattan Rocking Chair
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic, ca. 1920s Thonet rocking chair Model #10 (in 1923, Thonet was forced to merge with Kohn-Mundus to form Mundus-Allgemeine- Handels-und Industrie-Gesellschaft, and production w...
Cane, Beech, Bentwood
Vintage 1910s Josef Hoffmann Easy Lounge Chairs, Style of Gatsby
By Josef Hoffmann, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
Two Elegant Josef Hoffmann Chairs made by Manufactor Jacob & Josef Kohn. Early 20th-Century Armchairs in Great Gatsby Style. Crafted around 1910 Jugendstil , these armchairs r...
Fabric, Beech
Bentwood rocking chair attr. Thonet, late 19th century
By Thonet
Located in View Park, CA
A bentwood rocker attributed to Thonet, designed late 19th or early 20th century. Featuring art nouveau whiplash curves and real wicker caning. Made in Poland (possibly at the Radoms...
Wicker, Bentwood
Set of 4 French Bentwood Bistro Dining Chairs, Provence, Mid-20th Century
By Thonet
Located in Astoria, NY
Sourced in Provence, this set of four French bentwood bistro chairs captures the quiet elegance of classic café seating. The frames are crafted in steam-bent beechwood, featuring a g...
Beech, Bentwood
Antique French Walnut Double Caned & Hand Carved
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous French Art Noveau walnut with double caning, front and back, hand carved settee. Sweeping lines with cabriolet legs, all hand carved stained and lacquered. In excellent anti...
Cane, Walnut, Lacquer
$843 / item
Art Nouveau Chairs
Located in London, England
Sculptural statement chairs hailing from Brussels. Very much in keeping with works by Horta et al, displaying exquisite details and line work throughout. Belgium 1910s. H 125cm x ...
Iron
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
$493Sale Price|20% Off
Wrought Iron French Art Nouveau Children's Armchair, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and rare Art Nouveau children's armchair. Striking French design from the 1900s. Blue lacquered wrought iron. This wonderful Art Nouveau children's armchair is in good co...
Wrought Iron
Antoni Gaudí Calvet Armchair, Solid Varnished Oak, Jugendstil, Spain
By BD Barcelona Design, Antoni Gaudí
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Calvet armchair designed by Antoni Gaudi manufactured by BD design, Solid varnished oak. Measures: 52 x 65 x 95 H cm. A company that has alwa...
Oak
Paolo Buffa Ladder chair for Chiavari, Italy 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Beautiful ladder high-back chair designed by Paolo Buffa for Chiavari in 1950s Italy. Ebonized hard wood with slim cane seat. Chairs are extremly light and firm. Patina and conditio...
Cane, Hardwood
Art Nouveau Kerfschnitt Fruitwood 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
20th Century Art Nouveau Fine Set "Fledermaus" by Josef Hoffmann. Vienna, 1905.
Located in Vienna, AT
Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) Rare “Fledermaus” Seating Set Vienna, circa 1905 Designed for Cabaret Fledermaus, Vienna Secession A rare and historically significant Art Nouveau seating...
Upholstery, Bentwood
ART NOUVEAU CHAIR by THONET + JACOB & JOSEF KOHN WIENER WERKSTATTE Austria 1900
Located in PARIS, FR
An exceptional and extremely rare Model N°6009 chair with armrests, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, in dark brown bended & lacquered wood, with superb backrest and airy armrests in folded woo...
Wood
Jugendstil Armchair Attributed to Thorvald Bindesbøll, Denmark, ca. 1900
Located in Valby, 84
Armchair in solid oak, the continuously curved and gently arched crest rail terminating in carved square corner blocks with applied foliate ornament, supported by vertical back splat...
Leather, Oak
Hector Guimard, Garden bench, a rare example retaining its original wooden seat.
Located in London, GB
Hector Guimard, Cast iron garden bench. A rare example retaining its original Art Nouveau wooden seat. It is important to note that the original wooden seat and back show complete pu...
Iron
$1,362Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Beech Art Nouveau High Back Chairs Model 17 by Michael Thonet, 1890s
By Michael Thonet, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and ultra rare pair of Art Nouveau Model 17 side chairs. Design by Michael Thonet for Gebrüder Thonet Vienna. Striking Austrian design from the 1890s. Original beech and ...
Beech, Bentwood
pair of secessionist armchairs Joseph Maria Olbrich Friedrich Otto Schmidt 1898
By Joseph Maria Olbrich, Friedrich Otto Schmidt
Located in Klosterneuburg, AT
pair of secessionist armchairs, Joseph Maria Olbrich (design), Friedrich Otto Schmidt (execution), 1898 technique: solid oak, brass, fabric (Backhausen, model “Abimelech”, designed ...
Brass
Original Josef Hoffmann Jugendstil Bench/Settee, Early 20th Century restored
By Josef Hoffmann, Jacob & Josef Kohn, Otto Prutscher
Located in Vienna, AT
Attributed to either Josef Hoffmann or Otto Prutscher as both of the designers did similar objects in bentwood at this time, and both were using balls or olives for joining the legs ...
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
Pair of Vintage Library Barrel Chairs in Dark Green Fabric
Located in Philadelphia, PA
We are pleased to present these handsome barrel chairs in a beautiful green fabric. Likely made around 2000. Vintage style. Very good overall condition. Ships from Philadelphia. Wi...
Fabric
Extremely rare and beautiful Otto Wagner Chair by Thonet 1901
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Woka Lamps, Otto Wagner
Located in Vienna, AT
Stained beachwood, seat and back with fabric, seat height 46cm (18,11') Presented first at the Expo Paris 1900, in a setting by Josef Hoffmann for the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschulle Li...
Beech
1940s Slim Jugendstil Swedish Club Chair Patinated Tan Brown Leather
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
Elegant and refined Swedish “Tiger” club chair from the 1920s, executed in rich dark brown leather. This slender model reflects the influence of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau), combining s...
Leather, Beech, Pine
Jacob & Josef Kohn Antique Austrian Teal Lacquered Bentwood Bistro Chairs, Pair
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful pair of antique teal lacquered bentwood bistro chairs or dining chairs In the manner of Thonet By Jacob & Josef Kohn Austria, Circa 1900 Each measures: 16.25"W x 19.7...
Bentwood, Lacquer
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
Folding Lounge Chair by Thonet with Adjustable Footstool 19th Century
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Antwerp, BE
Original rare folding lounge chair in bentwood and cane from 1880 by Michael Thonet. Gebrüder Thonet, Vienna, Austria. Steam-bent beechwood and cane.
Rattan, Bentwood
Danish Carved Lounge Chair in Green Velvet, 1920s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Carved Lounge Chair in Green Velvet, 1920s. A rare and gorgeous antique armchair in a rich dark green velour. Jacquard woven seat with floral motifs. Wide scalloped back and ...
Velvet, Oak
Originals 1905 of the Period Pair of Josef Hoffmann and Jacob &Josef Kohn Chairs
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Vienna, AT
Very early and important design by Josef Hoffmann for J&J Kohn; horseshoe-shaped stand, each with two spheres under the corner joints of the seat, beechwood, light stained, polis...
Bentwood
Rare Jugenstil Side Chair Attributed Richard Riemerschmid Germany ca 1899
Located in Den Haag, NL
Rare Sculptural Side Chair Attributed Richard to Riemerschmid Germany ca 1900 The chair even still has the Velvet original upholstery with Lovely embroidery. Re-upholster or leave a...
Rush, Bentwood, Mahogany
$1,878Sale Price / set|20% Off
Thonet 79 model 207R "Long John" Dining Chairs, 1979
By Thonet
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Design model bentwood 207R "LONG JOHN" Dining Chair set of 5 by Thonet. Marked Thonet 79. Made in 1979. Bend beech wood with flower fabric. Chairs come with original limited ...
Fabric, Beech
Early 20th Century Mahogany Cozy Corner by Max Coini, Amsterdam
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
Exceptional "Cozy Corner" made by Max Coini in Amsterdam. This piece of furniture was crafted in the French Art Deco style (around 1930). The entire piece is made of solid mahogany, ...
Fabric, Glass, Mahogany
1900s Italy Pair of Bedroom Armchairs Art Nouveau with Stool Hand-Carved Walnut
By Carlo Zen
Located in Vigonza, Padua
1900s Italy budoir, pair of bedroom armchairs Art Nouveau with stool in hand-carved walnut, restored and polished to wax. Made new upholstery...
Fabric, Walnut
$28,090Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 10 Arts & Crafts Oak Dining Chairs with Leather Seats, 20th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
An exceptional and highly cohesive set of ten antique dining chairs crafted in solid oak, exemplifying the honest craftsmanship and refined linear geometry characteristic of the Arts...
Leather, Oak
1930s Swedish Sofa by G. H. Wrange
Located in Turners Falls, MA
Swedish Sofa by G. H. Wrange. 1930’s. Carved Mahogany. Original condition.
Mahogany
Italian Art Nouveau chairs with armrest in rattan light blue rattan, early 1900s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Art Nouveau chairs with armrest in rattan and light blue rattan, early 1900s Pair of chairs with armrest in finely woven rattan. The rounded backrest and armrests feature lig...
Rattan
Danish Folk Art Armchair in Oak & Lambswool Seat, Early 20th Century, 1930s
Located in Odense, DK
A beautifully crafted Danish armchair in solid oak, produced during the late 19th to early 20th century. The chair is executed in a refined blend of historicism and neoclassicism, fe...
Lambskin, Sheepskin, Wool, Oak
Art Nouveau Armchair by Johan Rohde (1856-1935), Denmark, C.1915.
By Johan Rohde
Located in Valby, 84
Armchair by Johan Rohde (1856–1935), Mahogany and Horsehair, Denmark, ca. 1915. Armchair made of mahogany, the curved barrel back above a richly carved splat centred by an oval meda...
Other
Italian Art Nouveau wall bench with original mirror, Liberty bench
Located in Milano, IT
Rare and elegant Italian Art Nouveau (Liberty) wall settee, executed circa 1900 and preserved in an exceptional state of historical coherence. Conceived as an architectural furnishi...
Metal
Pair of Bentwood Rocking Chairs with Cane Seat and Back
By Thonet
Located in Miami, FL
This model is inspired by the Thonet no. 10 rocker from circa 1880. It´s made in Spain, circa 1940-1950. It was restored and it´s in perfect shape.
Cane, Bentwood
Antique Carved Wing Chair with Cane Sides , Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with some signs of age and use - Sturdy and Stable - reupholstered some time ago - Pillows filled with real feathers - carved linden wood frame - heigh o...
Fabric, Wood
$1,850
Pine Bench or Settle
Located in Baltimore, MD
This lovely pine bench has everything. The top rail is beautifully scalloped with a crest in the center and straight lines with two little points on each side of it before it dips a...
Pine