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.
Art Nouveau Marquetry Desk Table by Louis Majorelle, France 1900
Located in Vienna, AT
A French Art Nouveau desk table by Louis Majorelle, France, circa 1900-Signed, “L Majorelle.” Rare desk version with a drawer and the intricate twisted leg motive. The table top is ...
Fruitwood
1920's English Art Nouveau Solid Oak Writing Table Bureaux
Located in Leicester, GB
Stunning English Art Nouveau oak cabinet with bureaux. Beautiful design with shapely leg details and beautiful cut work. Beautiful brass plate handles with a classic Art Nouveau patt...
Oak
Original Gambling Table in the Style of Adolf Loos 1910 with Brass Chip-Bowls
By Adolf Loos, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Beechwood stained, round brass-base, chased with Hammer-finish, four collumnar table-legs, on four corners extendible chips-bowls in brass - compare haberfeld table, knize tables.
Brass
Art Nouveau Marquetry Side Table by Émile Gallé, Walnut, France, 1900s
By Émile Gallé
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and elegant Art Nouveau marquetry side table. Design by Émile Gallé Original solid walnut base with four tapered legs. The original table top, which has been slightly bended...
Macassar, Walnut
Circular Table Josef Hoffmann, Entwurf: um 1903, Sanatorium Purkersdorf. Origina
Located in Vienna, AT
A Circular Table from a Games Room at the Purkersdorf Sanatorium, designed by Josef Hoffmann, 1903, for the Purkersdorf Sanatorium, executed by the Wiener Werkstätte, oak, brown-stai...
Metal
French Bistro Guinguette Table Faience Top & Wrought Iron, 1900
Located in Labrit, Landes
Assembled bistro table, base circa 1900 and ceramic tabletop from the 1970s Bistro table consisting of an antique cast-iron base dating from around 1900 and a circular tabletop made...
Wrought Iron
Josef Hoffmann Table For Jacob & Josef Kohn No. 906
Located in Čelinac, BA
Josef Hoffmann Table N0.906 For Jacob & Josef Kohn
Wood
French Art Nouveau Mahogany & Leather Partners Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Essentially two people would comfortably use this remarkable French 19th century mahogany partner’s desk, that is they are willing to share such a magnificent design. A wonderful anc...
Brass
Elegant round Art Nouveau table, Thonet Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Elegant round Art Nouveau table from the renowned Thonet company, painted black. The table can be easily extended and expanded into an oval table with two additional panels. Conditi...
Brass
Louis Majorelle “Chicorée” Complete Art Nouveau Dining Room Set, France, 1900
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
An exceptionally rare and complete Louis Majorelle “Chicorée” dining room suite, created in Nancy, France, circa 1900. This remarkable ensemble is a superb example of French Art Nouv...
Bronze
Art Nouveau Pedestal Plant Stand, Hand-Carved Beech & Marble, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and elegant Art Nouveau pedestal or plant stand. Striking French design from the 1900s. Original hand-carved patinated beech frame with original white marble top. The marble...
Marble
French Art Nouveau Dining Table with Cast Iron Base, 1900s
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Allow yourself to become lost in the expressive Art Nouveau details on this vintage French dining table featuring a large, cast iron base topped with a (French gray) painted wood sur...
Iron
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
1920"s Art Nouveau Mahogany Ormolu Mounted Vanity and Majorelle Stool
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This elegant early twentieth-century French Art Nouveau vanity is a remarkable example of the movement's celebration of organic beauty, exceptional craftsmanship, and functional desi...
Mahogany
Vintage Small Wooden Florentine Gilt Tray, Italy 1950s
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
Amazing Smal Italian Florentine tray. Manufactured in Florence, Italy. Hand-painted in gold and brown shades. Wooden tray is in a good condit...
Wood
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
Italian White Marble Top Gilt Metal Wall-Mounted Console, 1940s
Located in Astoria, NY
Italian White Marble Top Gilt Metal Wall-Mounted Console, 1940s. 29.25" H x 32" W x 11" D. Provenance: From a Forest Hills Gardens Estate.
Marble, Metal
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
$5,309Sale Price|20% Off
Dining Table with Extentions Art Nouveau Period, France
Located in Labrit, Landes
Dining table Art Nouveau, late 19th century. The extensions were made recently by our cabinet maker, their color is slightly different from the color of the table (please see photos)...
Oak
Original Josef Hoffmann Dressing Table from 1905 by Jacob & Josef Kohn
By Woka Lamps, Jacob & Josef Kohn, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Vienna, AT
An extraordinary modern furniture from the best period of his works. He made trendsetting Industrial designs for the bentwood-industrie. This dressing-table is from the "Fledermaus" ...
Bentwood
French Bistro Table by Delpeche Freres, Marble Top, Cast Iron Base, circa 1900
Located in Chappaqua, NY
French Bistro Table by Delpeche Freres, Marble top, Cast Iron Base, circa 1900. Ornate molded cast iron base with rectangular marble top. Weathered red paint on base. Makers mark st...
Marble, Iron
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
Original and Documented Jugendstil Dressing Table by Otto Prutscher for Thonet
By Otto Prutscher, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
An extremely rare dressing table designed by Otto Prutscher and manufactured at Gebrueder Thonet in 1908. Literature: Innendekoration 1917 as well as a very similar model for the Vil...
Beech
Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Set of Four Marquetry Nesting Tables, France, c. 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, AR
A rare and beautifully preserved set of four Art Nouveau nesting tables, attributed to the workshop of Émile Gallé, Nancy, France, circa 1900. The largest tabletop bears a marquetry-...
Wood
$1,053Sale Price|20% Off
Oak Art Nouveau Pedestal Table or Plant Stand, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and rare Art Nouveau pedestal table or plant stand. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak with original hand-carved elements. This wonderful Art Nouveau pedesta...
Oak
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
Gueridon, small table, Josef Hoffmann attr. Thonet Vienna 1905
Located in Vienna, AT
Gueridon, small table, Josef Hoffmann attr. Thonet
Beech
Original of the time Jugendstil table
By Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil. Early 20 century, solid cherrywood body, decorative brass parts, H 74cm, D 72cm, restored
Oak
Style 20th Century Transformable Dining - Consolle Table Lacquered Bordeaux
Located in Lentate Sul Seveso, IT
Step into a world where timeless artistry meets contemporary functionality with our Transformable Console Table, exquisitely designed in the spirit of Art Nouveau and modernized with a high-gloss Bordeaux lacquer...
Wood
Rare Art Nouveau Bent Oak Side Table by Mundus Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Vienna Secession beech bentwood side table showcasing classic Art Nouveau styling . The table comes with a rounded rectangular top and a parallel floating lower display shelf. Four s...
Oak
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
$633Sale Price|35% Off
1960s Drexel Et Cetera Furniture Collection Gilded Lily Cigarette Table
By Drexel
Located in Waxahachie, TX
Art Nouveau and Arthur Court inspired cast aluminum side table, with an aged gilt finish. Base is comprised of three flowering lilies with int...
Aluminum
Dining Walnut Table with Central Extension Art Déco Period, circa 1930 France
Located in Labrit, Landes
Dining table Art Deco, made circa 1930. The extension were made recently by our cabinet maker using the walnut wood of another table. The finishing of the top and the belt of the ta...
Walnut
$1,145Sale 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
19th C. English Art Nouveau Brass Carrara Marble Top Table
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A distinctive repurposed English Art Nouveau period brass and marble top center or library table made by Harris and Sheldon Ltd, Birmingham, England. The patinated brass base was rep...
Carrara Marble, Brass
Rare Set by Robert Oerley and Hans Gunther Reinstein, 1910
By Hans Gunther Reinstein, Robert Oerley
Located in PARIS, FR
Rare Set by Robert Oerley and Hans Gunther Reinstein, 1910 Silk Cushions Pedestal table Height 73 cm Diameter 73 cm Armchairs 50 cm wide and 50 cm deep Height 77 cm
Silk, Beech, Paint
$4,700Sale Price|28% Off
Art Nouveau Walnut Desk, Germany, Circa 1895, Elegant Polished Finish
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Art Nouveau Walnut Desk A very elegant desk from the Art Nouveau period, crafted around 1895. The piece is veneered in beautiful walnut on a solid pinewood corpus and shows the refin...
Walnut
$2,345Sale 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
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
$2,381Sale 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
20th Century Art Nouveau Fledermaus Coffee Table by Josef Hoffmann, AT ca. 1906
By Josef Hoffmann, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Remarkable, early 20th century Art Nouveau "Fledermaus" coffee table/ side table, designed around 1906 by none other than the famous Austrian architect and founder of the renowed "Wi...
Beech
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
Antique Trestle Table from Italy, 19th
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This 19th century trestle table was crafted in Italy. It has a thick solid wood top and decoratively cut legs, supported firmly by a central crossbeam. It has been maintained so that...
Wood
19th Century French Art Nouveau Hall Tree, Hand-Carved Wood & Marble
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An extraordinary French 19th century vanity or hall tree that could serve many functions around the home to anchor an entryway, hall or dressing room in need of a statement piece of ...
Marble
Art Nouveau Emile Gallé "Cherry Blossom" Table
By Émile Gallé
Located in New York, NY
This carved mahogany and marquetry table by Émile Gallé features a cherry blossom–shaped top, inlaid with blossoming boughs and a violin. The floral imagery draws on the Yoshino cher...
Fruitwood
Original Vienna Secession 20th Century 1908 Jugendstil Coffee Table
By Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Round coffee-table with fluted stem. Typical Viennese works from circa 1908.
Glass, Wood
Vintage Salterini Style Leaf Vine Scroll Wrought Iron Oval Patio Coffee Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Please message us with your zip code to request a more reasonable domestic U.S. shipping quote. Vintage Salterini Style Leaf & Vine Scrolling Wrought Iron Small Oval Garden Pati...
Wrought Iron
Adolf Loos Elephant Trunk Table, Brass & Wood, Viennese Design, 1910
By Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Adolf Loos
Located in Klosterneuburg, AT
The famous Viennese architect and designer Adolf Loos was one of the pioneers of modern architecture. In particular, his hollistically designed residential projects, in which he drew up both the building and the interior furnishings, receive special art historical attention today. Loos first used this design, called the "elephant trunk table...
Brass
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
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
Art Nouveau Marquetry Corner Table
Located in Denton, TX
Art Nouveau table in carved walnut with floral and musical motive marquetry.
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
Art Nouveau Émile Gallé "Sagittaire" Guéridon
By Émile Gallé
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite two-tiered Japonist table by Émile Gallé features marquetry that juxtaposes a planar rendering of an arrowhead flower with a fully articulated botanical view of the pl...
Fruitwood, Rosewood
Modern Cast Bronze Console Table from Costantini, Lychorinda
By Costantini
Located in New York, NY
Lychorinda Modern Cast Bronze Console Table from Costantini Measurements are 48" W x 20" D x 31.5" H The Lychorinda Console Table balances modern...
Bronze
Art Nouveau Pedestal in wood and brass, Belgium, ca. 1910
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Belgium / 1910 / Piedestal / wood and brass / Art Nouveau An elegant Belgian pedestal table dating to circa 1910, crafted in wood and brass with refined Art Nouveau detailing. Attri...
Brass
Antique French art nouveau side table “Thistle” by Emile Galle 1900 gueridon
By Émile Gallé
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
This elegant Art Nouveau guéridon was designed by Émile Gallé, circa 1900, and is a fine example of his signature marquetry work. The shaped tabletop features a delicate floral scene...
Walnut
French Art Nouveau Side Table or Plant Table in Oak, 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Round Art Nouveau / Art Deco Side Table or Plant Table, France 1920s. Solid and sturdy oak frame and table top. Good original condition with light signs of use consistent with age.
Oak
French Art Nouveau Mahogany Dining Table by Eugène Gaillard for Maison Bing 1900
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Exceptional French Art Nouveau Mahogany Dining Table by Eugène Gaillard for Maison Bing in 1900. An outstanding and rare antique dining table...
Mahogany
French Art Nouveau Inlaid Walnut and Satinwood ladies Vanity Manner Galle
By Claude Galle
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Enhance your interior with this stunning French Art Nouveau Inlaid Walnut and Satinwood Ladies Vanity, a timeless masterpiece reminiscent of the style popularized by Manner Galle. Th...
Satinwood, Walnut
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
Four nesting tables Josef Hoffmann J. & J. Kohn ca. 1910
By J & J Kohn & Mundus, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Klosterneuburg, AT
four nesting tables, Josef Hoffmann, J. & J. Kohn, mod. Nr. 986, ca. 1910, marked Around 1905, Josef Hoffmann designed the four nesting tables. With their clean, minimalist lines an...
Beech