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.
1920s Japanese Art Nouveau Table Bronze and Brass with Dragonfly Motif
Located in Benalmadena, ES
This table reflects the Japanese Art Nouveau movement of the 1920s, cast in bronze and brass and finished with hand-chiseled floral engravings across the surface. The tabletop takes ...
Brass, Bronze
J. & J. Kohn art nouveau side table in bentwood, Austria ca. 1910
Located in Meulebeke, BE
An art nouveau “Palm” side table by Jacob and Joseph Kohn in bentwood. Designed in Vienna, Austria around 1910. The table top has a dark circled wear mark (see pictures) This table ...
Wood, Bentwood
Pair of Mid-Century Italian Liberty Night Stands Bedside Tables Walnut Glass Top
Located in Carimate, Como
Very elegant and refined Italian 1950s Mid-Century Modern design, pair of bedside tables with double front door, black glass top and beautiful wood veneer burl decors on the sides an...
Brass
Art Nouveau Side Table made of Bamboo
Located in Hannover, DE
This stunning Art Nouveau side table made of bamboo is a real gem! It's a true rarity and a must-have for any collection. This table is absolutely stunning! It's lovingly crafted by ...
Bamboo, Raffia
$2,430Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Oak Wood Sewing Table, Polished Finish, Germany, 1905
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Beautiful sewing or side table made of oak wood. The table dates back to the time of Art Nouveau period, more specifically from the time, around 1905. The table has a very nice art n...
Oak
19th Century French Bamboo Side Table with Octagonal Top
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tortoise bamboo side table from France with an octagonal shaped top. This table is darling! The top has bamboo molded edges, surrounding a seagrass top, and supported ...
Bamboo, Rush
20th Century Art Nouveau J&J Kohn Bentwood Side Table, Austria ca. 1910
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Charming small 20th century Art Nouveau bentwood side table made by the world famous company of Jacob & Josef Kohn in Vienna/ Austria around 1910. A timeless designed side table ...
Beech, Bentwood
Art Nouveau Marquetry Corner Table
Located in Denton, TX
Art Nouveau table in carved walnut with floral and musical motive marquetry.
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
19th Century French Bamboo Side Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century French bamboo table with wonderful Art Nouveau period style. The top has been restored with a basketweave pattern, and is supported on top of a wonderful frame with ex...
Bamboo, Paper
Flower column Koloman Moser
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Oak flower stand and/or pedestal with a black glass top. This design was used exclusively by Koloman Moser for furniture distributed by Wiener Werkstätte. Black stained; good condi...
Opaline Glass, Oak
1900s Original Side Table Bella Epoque by Fischel & Söhne Thonet style Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Vigonza, Padua
A little hard to find jewel of Belle Époque period by Fischel & Söhne Measures cm: H 70 x W 58 x D 37. Belle Epoque refined side table by Fischel & Söhne, bearing the incised maker...
Beech
cast iron and oak bistrot table, circa 1900
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Thonet style Art Nouveau oak bistrot table, circa 1900
Cast Iron
Art Nouveau Side Table, Wood and Marble, circa 1900, Belgium.
By Victor Horta
Located in Brussels, BE
Nice Art Nouveau side table, circa 1900, Belgium. Curved dark tainted oak base and beautiful Ceppo rosso marble top. Dimensions: 40 cm w, 40 cm D, 44 cm H. Original condition, rare i...
Marble
Jugendstil Burled Birch Nightstand with Marble Top, Sweden, 1900
Located in New York, NY
Adorned with elegant burlwood veneers on all visible sides, both nightstands showcase a sophisticated aesthetic. The interior storage is generous, and the construction is impressivel...
Birch
19th Century French Tortoise Bamboo Side Table with Chinoiserie Decoration
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tortoise bamboo side table with chinoiserie decoration from France. This table is fabulous! It has a bamboo molded edge around the top, surrounding the hand painted ch...
Bamboo, Wood, Paint
$2,393Sale Price|20% Off
an extremely rare French Art Nouveau side table Paris ar. 1905 iron brass zinc
Located in Landshut, BY
Bonjour ! This object is a gem, and in this rare version it features a riveted wrought iron frame with hammered zinc sheet fixed to a wooden panel. The panel has artistically desig...
Iron, Brass, Zinc
$2,244Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Side Table by Émile Gallé, Marquetry Wood, France, 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Elegant Art Nouveau tripod side table signed Gallé, featuring a distinctive shield-shaped top. The tabletop is richly decorated with fine marquetry depicting a thistle branch, an em...
Wood
Antoine BASTEL Art Nouveau Nesting Tables, Emile Galle
By A. Bastel, Émile Gallé
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Exceptional set of four Art Nouveau nesting tables crafted in noble woods with refined marquetry by the Lyon cabinetmaker Antoine Bastel, circa 1900. Bastel is known to have collabor...
Iron
Gilt Iron Drinks Table on an Elevated and Scrolled Tripod Base
Located in Buchanan, NY
This charming Spanish drinks table has been expertly handcrafted by skilled European artisans employing traditional iron-working techniques. It features an elegantly twisted central ...
Iron
Spanish Gilt Iron Drinks Table on an Elevated Tripod Base
Located in Buchanan, NY
An elegant small scale side table, recently crafted by European artisans using traditional skills. Featuring a hand-applied gold finish with subtle dark undertones, it rests upon a f...
Iron
Antique French Style Folding Wrought Iron Garden Table with Grapevine Motif
Located in Miami, FL
Antique French Style Folding Wrought Iron Garden Table with Grapevine Motif, Oval Pierced Top, Circa 1900 A highly decorative antique folding wrought iron table, executed in the Fre...
Metal, Wrought Iron
Original French Art Nouveau Marquetry Table ''Japonisme'' by Emile Galle 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Very rare original Emile Galle ''plate 66 Japonisme'' side table in Art Nouveau style. This beautiful side table was created by Emile Galle in 1900, during the art nouveau period. It features exquisite marquetry woodwork that is inspired by the Japonisme movement, which was influenced by Japanese art and design. The side table is decorated with breathtaking Magnolia flowers & a romantic couple of butterflies. Made from various types of wood, creating a unique scenery almost like a painting. The table showcases intricate details, such as delicate foliage and organic forms, that are hallmarks of art nouveau style. Galle was renowned for his innovative techniques and attention to detail, and this piece is a testament to his mastery of the craft. It is a stunning example of the art nouveau movement and a true work of art. Literature: ''Galle furniture by Alastair Duncan and Georges de Bartha 2012 Page 153. Plate 66. This Emile Galle table...
Walnut, Fruitwood, Rosewood
Art Nouveau Oak Pedestal Side Table, Early 20th Century
Located in BÉTERA, ES
Elegant early 20th century Art Nouveau side table crafted in solid oak with a beautifully sculptural pedestal base. The table features a circular top supported by swan forms charact...
Hardwood, Oak
Antique Art Nouveau Solid Wood Table with Brass Details, 1920
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Antique Italian side table. 19.5" in diameter abd 28.5" high. Solid wood decorated with brass, ornamental paint and veneer. The table has ...
Brass
Swedish Designer, Side Tables, Wood, Sweden, 1900s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of wood side tables designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1900s. Dimensions: 30.375” H x 26.8” W x 19” D
Wood
$1,168Sale Price|20% Off
Oak Art Nouveau Arts & Crafts Side Table, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and rare Art Nouveau Arts & Crafts side table. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak frame with hand-carved flowers on top and legs. This wonderful Art Nouveau ...
Oak
Art Nouveau Marquetry Corner Table
Located in Denton, TX
Art Nouveau table in carved walnut with floral and musical motive marquetry. We can not verify the signature but appears to be Galle.
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
Side, Coffee Cocktail Table by Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann Attributed
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Early 20th century Art Nouveau occasional side table, coffee and cocktail table by Wiener Werkstätte Josef Hoffmann designer attributed, in solid walnut, restored and wax polished. ...
Walnut
Swedish Smoking Table, oak with copper top, 1913 by Nordiska Kompaniet
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Stockholm, SE
A beautiful sidetable / smoking table in solid oak with hammered copper top. Made by Nordiska Kompaniet in 1913, model Tenn. Nice patina, smaller / normal signs of age and use. Sta...
Copper
Unique Adolf Loos Style Jugendstil Secession Haberfeld Table
By Adolf Loos
Located in Forney, TX
A magnificent handcrafted vintage oak wood framed glass top haberfeld table with substantial gilded bronze and pierced brass accents, having six legs ...
Brass, Bronze
Art Nouveau Table Fischel Nr. 10, circa 1910, Thonet Style
By Fischel
Located in Praha, CZ
Rare 1910's Thonet style table, by Fischel, made in Austria. Made of wood. Revived, cleaned, shows minor signs of use and age.
Bentwood
19th Century Biedermeier Sewing Table, Austria
By Biedermeier
Located in Praha, CZ
- original conditon - good condition - made of wood
Wood
Elegant French Brass Plant Table Art Nouveau Style
Located in Poperinge, BE
Elegant brass plant table with 2 levels, entirely in the typical floral and organic Art Nouveau style, France, first half of the 20th century. A high-quality and elegant object; the Art Nouveau style is characterized by asymmetry, graceful, organic, and flowing lines, often inspired by plants, flowers, and nature. This antique plant table...
Brass
Table Maison L´art Nouveau, Bing Atelier Magasins, Siegfried Bing, Art Nouveau
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Incredible Art Nouveau table. With the original label, from Siegfried Bing's or Samuel Bing shop. 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. L'art Nouveau Bing, Atelier Magasins sold many pieces to the Louvre museum. It was the most revolutionary store of the time. It was located at 22 rue de Provence, Paris. If you want a unique Art Nouveau piece, this should be your choice. We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and Art Nouveau 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. the Maison de l'Art Nouveau ("House of New Art"), abbreviated often as L'Art Nouveau, and known also as Maison Bing for the owner, was a gallery opened on 26 December 1895, by Siegfried Bing at 22 rue de Provence, Paris. The building was designed by the architect Louis Bonnier (1856–1946).[2] Unlike his earlier stores at the same location and nearby at 19 rue Chauchat that specialized in Japanese and Asian art objects, the gallery specialized in modern art.[1][3] The original exhibition featured windows designed by Nabi artists, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and made by Louis Comfort Tiffany...
Wood
Hand-Carved Japanese Kamakura Bori Side Table, Art Nouveau, Circa 1900
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
A Japanese Kamakura Bori carved side table, retailed by Liberty & Co. Circa 1900. These type of tables were commissioned by Liberty & Co and hand-carved...
Fruitwood
$2,141Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Oak Wood Side Table, Polished Finish, Germany, Circa 1910
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Lovely sewing or side table made of oak wood. The table dates from the Art Nouveau period, around 1910 to be precise. The table has a beautiful Art Nouveau design. The small table is...
Oak
Art Nouveau Wicker Step Table by Heywood-Wakefield, 1900
Located in Nashua, NH
A very rare natural finished Art Nouveau wicker step table with three shelves, American, C. 1900, with beautifully woven table surfaces on each shelf. . This is a one of a kind piece...
Cane, Wicker, Reed
Very Fine Carved Solid Rosewood Faux Bamboo Lamp Table Two Chairs Set MINT!
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very Fine Carved Solid Rosewood Faux Bamboo Lamp Table Two Chairs Set MINT! table dimensions: 23" x 30" chair dimensions: 18" x 18" x 37" seat height: 18"
Rosewood
20th Century Art Nouveau Bentwood Side Table No. 960 by J & J Kohn, AT ca. 1910
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Remarkable early 20th century Art Nouveau bentwood side table made by the famous Austrian company of Jacob & Josef Kohn around 1910. This timeless designed side table with the Mod. N...
Beech, Bentwood
Secession bedside table by J&J Kohn
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession bedside table by J&J Kohn. Professionally stained and repolished.
Brass
Jugendstil side table with hammered brass top
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Jugendstil side table with hammered brass top. Professionally stained and repolished.
Brass
Pair of Spanish Iron Drinks Tables with Arched Tripod Bases
Located in Buchanan, NY
This lovely pair of Spanish iron end or drinks tables was recently hand crafted by skilled European artisans using traditional iron working techniques. They feature tapered square ce...
Iron
19th century Fruitwood and alder occasional table
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century fruitwood and alder occasional table circa 1890. Good quality swedish occasional table, solid alder root top, which showcases it's striking grain. Featuring a drawer ...
Birch, Fruitwood
$2,337Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Side Table with Brass Accents, circa 1900
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Elegant side or salon table from the Art Nouveau period, around 1900, made of beautifully grained walnut. The circular top rests on four column-shaped supports that rise from a stepp...
Brass
20th Century Italian Chevet Table Circa 1900
Located in Atlanta, GA
This early 20th-century Italian chevet table, circa 1900, is a charming example of functional elegance. Crafted from walnut, the table features a rich, warm tone and a smooth, polish...
Walnut
A pair of Art Nouveau beech stained side tables with clover leaf style tops
Located in London, GB
A pair of Art Nouveau beech stained side tables with clover leaf style tops supported with whiplash uprights beside shaped aprons, flowing with elegant legs finishing on little pad f...
Beech
19th Century French Tortoise Bamboo Side Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tortoise bamboo side table from France with a lovely basketweave pattern covered wallpaper top and lower shelf. The table is supported on four legs, all with additional...
Bamboo
$3,039
Art Noveau NK Side Table
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
I fine Swedish Art Nouveau mahogany side table from the Nordiska Kompaniet (NK) in Stockholm ca 1905. A beautiful table with a contoured top with underlying shelf, fluted legs, leg h...
Mahogany
Art Nouveau Style Mahogany Circular Side/Drinks Table
Located in San Francisco, CA
featuring a round dish-top above a shapely tripod base with scalloped apron and adorned with foliate scrolls all raised on cabriole supports
Mahogany
Thonet. Pair of two-tiered side tables in stained beech. Circa 1900.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Michael Thonet Pair of two-tiered side tables, made of stained beech with a green lacquer finish on the tabletops. Bears the Thonet label with the inscription “Made in Czechoslovaki...
Beech
Antique Table of Wood, Brass and Mother of Pearl Inlay, Carlo Zen, C 1900s
By Carlo Zen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Beautiful Pedestal or Side Table of Wood, Brass and Inlaid Mother-of-Pearl designed in Italy by Carlo Zen. A Classic Art Nouveau piece, this table is a perfect size.
Brass
Adolf Loos Elephant Trunk Table, Wood and Copper, Austria, 1910s
By Adolf Loos
Located in Brussels, BE
Adolf Loos elephant trunk table, wood and copper, Austria, 1910s.
Wood
$1,673Sale Price|20% Off
French Art Nouveau Wood Side Table Writing Table Glass Top One Drawer, c 1920
Located in Labrit, Landes
French antique wood and glass side or writing table, circa 1920. Made in the art Nouveau period : the legs are typical of the lines of this artistic movement inspirated by nature. Th...
Metal
Louis Majorelle Art Nouveau Side Table / Boudoir Table Marquetry Pair Available
By Louis Majorelle, Ecole de Nancy
Located in Round Top, TX
Louis Majorelle Art Nouveau Side or Boudoir Tables Two Available; Offered Individually A pair of trefoil form, two-level, French Art Nouveau boudoir tables, signed by famed furnitu...
Wood
Antique Thonet Bentwood Side Table, Leather & Beech, Austria, 1910s
Located in Ljubljana, SI
This antique Thonet-style side table is a rare and highly collectible example of the transition from late Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) to early modern functionalism. It showcases the rev...
Leather, Beech, Bentwood
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
French Paris Bistro Table Beech Bakelite & Brass Table, early 20th Century
Located in Labrit, Landes
This table was made and sold in a Parisian bistro. Meticulously crafted, it has been built to withstand the test of time and to welcome numerous customers. The bottom of the feet has...
Metal, Brass
Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Occasional Table with Floral Marquetry
By Émile Gallé
Located in Queens, NY
French Art Nouveau occasional table with a circular top with shaped edge and floral marquetry inlay that rotates on a central axis, resting on four tapered sabre legs joined by a squ...
Wood
Art Nouveau Side Table by Jacob & Josef Kohn, Bentwood, Austria, 1916
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Art Nouveau - Table or desk Measures : 110x64cm H:78cm This table is a creation of the Jacob & Josef Kohn company, dating from around 1916 - The belt is decorated with stylized fan ...
Bentwood
1910s Oval Viennese Occasional Table by Wiener Werkstätte, Solid Walnut Restored
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Early 20th century oval Viennese occasional table from Wiener Werkstätte, solid walnut restored, attributed to architect Josef Hoffmann designer Measures cm: H 76, W 70, D 52 "...
Walnut
Pair of Art Nouveau Thonet Side Tables - Vienna, 1904
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Girona, Girona
Pair of tripod and triangular side tables in stained and varnished solid beech, thick glass tops with fleur-de-lys motif. Production: Thonet, Vienna, model 9104 from 1904.
Glass, Beech