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Art Nouveau Seating

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
Antique Bentwood Piano Stool by J.J. Kohn, Austria 1900s
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 ...
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Beech

Oak and Rush Armchair by LOV, Netherlands ca 1920s
Located in Utrecht, NL
The Amsterdamse School was a movement that defined Dutch architecture and design from as early as the 1910s. The style found its roots in Expressionist architecture, borrowing elemen...
Category

1920s Dutch Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Rush, Oak

Swivel chair by Lajos Kozma
By Jozsef Heisler, Lajos Kozma
Located in Kleinburg, ON
Lajos Kozma was one of the most authentic representatives of Hungarian Art Nouveau in the early-20th-century. He had an unprecedented influence on the European design through his dra...
Category

1930s Hungarian Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Steel

Rustic Black Forest Floral Loveseat
Located in Queens, NY
Rustic (Art Nouveau) Black Forest (19th Cen) walnut loveseat with floral carved frame and upholstered seat and back
Category

19th Century European Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Historicism upholstered stool, footrest, 1910´s, Austria Hungary
Located in Prague 8, CZ
This stool/footrest was made in Austria-Hungary territory around 1910. It´s made of beech wood and it´s upholstered in fabric. In good condition, new fabric, shows slight signs of a...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Beech

Jugendstil Armchair 719F
Located in Toronto, CA
Bentwood chair by Koloman Moser (1868 – 1918), an Austrian artist who was one of the founders of the Vienna Secession, a movement attempting to unify painting, architecture, and the ...
Category

1910s Austrian Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Leather, Wood

Set of 4 French Art Nouveau Walnut and Upholstery Armchairs
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 4 French Art Nouveau walnut open armchairs with upholstered peacock feather design seats and backs. (PRICED AS SET)
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Walnut, Upholstery

Gustave Serrurier-Bovy, Silex, Side Chair, Belgium, circa 1925
Located in New York, NY
One of Belgium's leading Art Nouveau designers, Gustave Serrurier-Bovy began producing his Silex series across a range of inexpensive furnishings in 1902, guided by a central belief that everyone should have access to beautiful furniture. The series comprised several ready-to-assemble kits. Bibliography: For illustrations of a similar model, see: Watelet, Jacques-Gre´goire. Serrurier-Bovy. Brussels: Ateliers Vokaer, 1986. 87, 92. For an illustration of this identical model, see: Bigot du Mesnil du Buisson, Franc¸oise & Etienne du Mesnil du Buisson. Serrurier-Bovy un cre´ateur, pre´curseur. Dijon: Editions-Faton, 2008. 93-168. Plaque: Serrurier-Bovy Paris Nice...
Category

Early 1900s Belgian Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Iron

Original Pair of Bedroom Armchairs with Footstool, Damask Velvet Upholstered
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Art Nouveau age, original pair of bedroom armchairs with footstool upholstered in original damask velvet in good condition wax-polished and s...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Damask, Walnut

Art Nouveau Armchair 'Model Stössler', Design by Adolf Loos, Vienna, circa 1900
Located in Vienna, AT
Adolf Loos (1870 - 1933) designed the chair model shown here in 1899 based on an English model as part of his earliest work as an interior designer for the dining room in Eugen Stössler's apartment in Vienna. The omission of the front supports of the armrests and the backwards curved legs lend the early chair a touch of elegance. Instead of the turned legs of the English model, Loos used smooth round wood with brass feet to protect the carpet. So these ankle cuffs fulfill a practical purpose and at the same time have a decorative effect. They thus correspond to Loos' demand for a 'unity of form and function'. Beautifully shaped furniture made by hand in high quality, solid walnut and veneered, shellac hand-polished, upholstered seat and covered with leather, brass nails and brass shoes. Execution: Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Vienna, circa 1900 Model number 6865 The model was produced by the company F. O. Schmidt and was also in their offer at the time. This explains why this chair model, specially designed by Loos for one of his interiors, can also be found on the art market. Measures: Total height: 82.0 cm / 32.28 in Seat height: 47.0 cm / 18.50 in Width: 57.0 cm / 22.44 in Depth: 50.0 cm / 19.68 in Bibliography: - The dining room in the Stössler apartment was published in 1900 in the Viennese arts and crafts...
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Brass

French Art Nouveau Walnut 7-Piece Living Room Set
Located in Queens, NY
7 Piece French Art Nouveau walnut salon set with carved floral corners comprised of 2 side chairs, 2 large bergeres, 2 small bergeres, and a loveseat.
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

French Art Nouveau Dressing Table Chair Circa 1890
Located in San Francisco, CA
Wonderful antique Art Nouveau period side chair / dressing table chair. Recent peacock pattern upholstery, and having its original gold gilding. Sturdy and sits will. France, late 1...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Upholstery, Wood, Giltwood

Pair of Art Nouveau Chairs in walnut, circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of Art Nouveau chairs in walnut, circa 1900.  
Category

Early 1900s European Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Walnut

Set of 4 Art Nouveau Walnut Dining Chairs An unusual set of chairs
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Set of 4 Art Nouveau Walnut Dining Chairs An unusual set of chairs, the top rail of the chair backs are curved and twisted, the back panel is inlaid with brass The Chairs are Good ...
Category

19th Century Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Walnut

Art Nouveau Dining Room Chocolate Brown Leather Chairs, Set Of Eight
Located in Lisbon, PT
This eight piece Art Nouveau dining-chair, with its original seat in chocolate brown leather. This dining chair set brings the sinuous lines and organic spirit of Art Nouveau era in...
Category

20th Century Portuguese Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Leather, Wood

Rare Brazilian Jacaranda Two Chairs and Table Art Nouveau Set, circa 1900
Located in Dallas, TX
Rare Brazilian Jacaranda two chairs and table Art Nouveau set, circa 1900. Mission arts and crafts design. Table height: 30.5" Diameter: 22". Conditio...
Category

Early 1900s Brazilian Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Jacaranda

Early 20th Century Sculptural One of a Kind Hand Crafted Fir. Chairs
Located in San Francisco, CA
Organically shaped with a touch of whimsy this one of a kind pair of Fir chairs was handcrafted in 1912 in the Big Sur/Carmel region of Central California. The bottom of each chair i...
Category

1910s American Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Wood

Art Nouveau Austrian Ottoman
Located in Houston, TX
The Art Nouveau Austrian ottoman is made of ebonized walnut wood and reupholstered in blue fabric. It has four curved legs that are connected on t...
Category

1910s Austrian Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Fabric, Walnut

Jugendstil office chair
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Jugendstil office chairs professionally stained and repolished.
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Beech

Austrian Antique Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Black lacquered mahogany wood, new reupholstered seat in leather.
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Wood, Leather

Pair of Chairs in the Thonet Style, circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of chairs in the Thonet style, circa 1900 to be restored.
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Seating

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...
Category

20th Century French Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Ceramic

Leon Benouville Art Nouveau Armchair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
French Art Nouveau armchair, circa 1900, by Leon Benouville in sculpted mahogany.
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Child seat ( Attributed Wilhelm Schmidt For Prag- Rudniker ) 1887, Prague
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Chair Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Liberty Material: Wood Country:France We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and Art Nouveau and Vintage styles since 1982.If you have any questions we are at your disposal. Pushing the button that reads 'View All From Seller'. And you can see more objects to the style for sale. rag-Rudniker Korbwaren-Fabrication (Basketwork Factory) The „Prag-Rudniker Korbwaren-Fabrication” had its origins in 1877 in Rudnik (Galicia), where Ferdinand Ernst Count Hompesch established a wickerwork school. Distribution of the products was done by the Prague merchants Karl and...
Category

1880s Czech Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Wood, Wicker

Pair Art Nouveau French Hard Wood Arm Chairs
Located in Potters Bar, GB
- Gorgeous pair of antique Art Nouveau French arm chairs - We date this gorgeous pair of chairs to circa 1930 - Hand carved from hardwood - very comfortable to sit in - Purchased fro...
Category

1930s Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Hardwood

Charming Little English Chair circa 1900 Beautiful Original Fabric to Net
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Charming little English chair, circa 1900 beautiful original fabric to net.
Category

Early 1900s English Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Hans Vollmer, for Prag-Rudniker, Armchair in Oak and Rope, circa 1900-1920
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Hans Vollmer, for Prag-Rudniker, armchair in oak and rope, circa 1900-1920.
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Oak, Rope

Art Nouveau Dining Chairs Pair Designed by Paul Mathieu for Stephanie Odegard
Located in New York, NY
Introducing the Art Nouveau Dining Chairs Pair, a stunning set of Art Nouveau dining chairs designed by the renowned Paul Mathieu for Stephanie Odegard. These elegant Art Nouveau din...
Category

2010s Indian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal

Art Nouveau Chairs Pair Designed by Paul Mathieu for Stephanie Odegard
Located in New York, NY
"Introducing the Art Nouveau Chairs Pair, a stunning set of Art Nouveau chairs designed by the renowned Paul Mathieu for Stephanie Odegard. Thes...
Category

2010s Indian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Metal, Bronze, Sheet Metal

Nobiliary Dining Chair of Thonet from Wiener Werkstaette
Located in Mariano Del Friuli, GO
Rare chair of the Wiener Werkstaette considered the prototype of the successive variants on Design by the architect. Gustav Sigel. The rectangular sections and geometric motifs of th...
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Bentwood

Original Art Nouveau Folding Bench, circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Original art nouveau folding bench, circa 1900.
Category

Early 20th Century European Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Beech

19th Century Faux-Bamboo Armchair
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
19th century Faux-Bamboo armchair cannage in average condition, a hole in the file.
Category

Late 19th Century Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Faux Bamboo

Lovely Art Nouveau Bench in Lacquered Wood, circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Lovely Art Nouveau bench in lacquered wood, circa 1900. To be restored.
Category

Early 1900s European Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Wood

Swivel chair Model 339 by Lajos Kozma
By Jozsef Heisler, Lajos Kozma
Located in Kleinburg, ON
Lajos Kozma was one of the most authentic representatives of Hungarian Art Nouveau in the early-20th-century. He had an unprecedented influence on the European design through his dra...
Category

1930s Hungarian Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Steel

Rare Steer Horn Beetle Form Chair, 1910-1915
Located in Bellport, NY
A rare sculptural steer horn chair. New upholstery in a Clarence House embroidered velvet fabric by Kazumi Yoshida depicting dogs branches, nature, an ...
Category

20th Century English Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Horn

2 Art Nouveau Armchairs, circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
2 Art Nouveau Armchairs, circa 1900 In lacquered wood, gilded wood and bronze No breakage but there are some cracks.
Category

Early 1900s European Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Bronze

Art Nouveau Armchair in Bis and Straw, France circa 1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Art Nouveau armchair in bis and straw, France circa 1900.
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Straw, Wood

Divano e due poltrone attribuite a Antonio Volpe - Udine modello n.215 XX secolo
Located in Premariacco, IT
Salotto del primo '900 formato da divano due posti e una coppia di poltrone, il tutto in faggio curvato con sedute e schienali imbottiti e decorati co...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Fabric, Beech

Pair of Armchairs by Otto Wagner
Located in Brussels, BE
Pair of armchairs by Otto Wagner.
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Bentwood

Set of Seven Art Nouveau Iron Chairs with Flower Seats, France, circa 1920s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Rare and elegant set of seven high-backed iron chairs with unusual, curving, flower-shaped seats fitted with newly-made button-tufted cushions, in outdoor fabric. The structure is pa...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Seating

Chunky Brass Rocking Chair with Damask Velvet Upholstery, France, 1900s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
An unusual brass rocking chair with an agreeable, chunky frame that has acquired a nice patina over time. The seat is of padded peacock-blue velvet with a bold damask-style motif in ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Copper

Ede Toroczkai Wigand Art Nouveau Seating Ensemble, Ca. 1910 '4 Pieces'
Located in Budapest, HU
Art Nouveau seating ensemble designed by Hungarian architect and furniture designer Ede Toroczkai Wigand. The four pieces ensemble consists of two p...
Category

1910s Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

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
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Walnut

Josef Hoffmann Red Leather "Club 1910" Chair By Wittmann is
Located in The Hague, NL
A rare and elegant club chair designed by Josef Hoffmann around 1910, exemplifying the refined geometry and modernist spirit of the Wiener Werkstätte movement. Upholstered in rich re...
Category

1910s Austrian Vintage Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Leather, Wood

Fauteuil Art Nouveau à haut dossier en hêtre
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Fauteuil Art Nouveau à haut dossier en hêtre Sur roulettes Mousses et tissu en bon état
Category

Early 1900s European Antique Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Beech

Ungvar Bentwood Armchair
Located in London, GB
A rare early 20th century bentwood chair by Austro-Hungarian company Ungvar. Ungvar began making bentwood furniture in the style of...
Category

Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Seating

Materials

Bentwood

Art Nouveau seating for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Art Nouveau seating 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 seating created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, building and garden elements, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Art Nouveau seating 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 seating, popular names associated with this style include Antoni Gaudí, Jacob and Josef Kohn, Michael Thonet, and Josef Hoffmann. 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 seating differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $155 and tops out at $120,000 while the average work can sell for $3,664.

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