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.
Antique Germany Cutlery Pocket Knife Nuremberg Beer Scene 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
We are pleased to offer a charming early 20th-century souvenir pocket knife produced as an advertising piece for the historic Jacob Kann Company of Nuremberg, Germany. Once a well-kn...
Metal, Brass
French Art Nouveau Lavender Glass Pendant by Muller Frères Lunéville, ca. 1920
Located in Barntrup, DE
Rare lavender glass bowl three-light pendant with sculptural bronze chains and floral mounts. This elegant French Art Nouveau pendant light was produced by Muller Frères Lunéville i...
Bronze
Antique Souvenir Pocket Knife unknown City View Scene 1900s Corkscrew & Blades
Located in Nuernberg, DE
We are pleased to offer a charming early 20th-century souvenir pocket knife produced as an Souvenir of a City in Germany. This vintage pocket knife features a relief of Church and a ...
Metal
French “Clichy” Yellow Glass Pendant Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French “Clichy” yellow glass pendant lamp Brass glass holder Weight : 0.85 kg / 1.9 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international standards for ...
Brass
20th Century Loetz Witwe Blue Glass Vase - Decor Cobalt Papillon, CZ, ca. 1903
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Highly decorative 20th century Loetz Witwe Art Nouveau glass vase - decoration "Cobalt Papillon" - from the early period in Bohemia around 1903. An incredible looking Loetz collector...
Blown Glass
Marguerite Dufay - Vintage lithographic Art Nouveau poster by Louis Anquetin
Located in East Quogue, NY
Vintage limited edition lithographic reproduction poster of "Marguerite Dufay" by 19th Century French artist Louis Anquestin (1861-1932). Published in 1968 by The Sunday Times (Lond...
Paper
Art Nouveau Enamelled Faience Vase, Baluster Form, Longwy Region, France, 1910s
By Boch Freres Keramis, Faïenceries et Emaux de Longwy
Located in Glasgow, GB
This Art Nouveau enamelled faience vase, produced in France around 1910 and likely originating from the Longwy region, is executed in a tall baluster form and decorated in heavy enam...
Enamel
French Art Nouveau Gilt Console Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
French Art Nouveau giltwood console table circa 1900, a sculptural piece of furniture that expresses the artistry of the period when every aspect of interior design was an opportunit...
Marble
Large Jugendstil Alabaster Pendant Light with Dramatic Natural Veining
Located in Lisse, NL
A striking and generously proportioned alabaster pendant light, measuring approximately 19.75 inches in diameter, executed during the European Jugendstil period. Carved from a single...
Alabaster, Brass, Wire
$1,750Sale Price|30% Off
Antique Victorian Aesthetic Arts Nouveau Stained Slag Glass Parlor Lamp 25"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Victorian era Aesthetic Movement / Art Nouveau style table lamp. Mushroom shaped lamp crafted of swirling blue, white, and purple slag glass framed...
Slag Glass
Paul GASQ - Large French Art Nouveau Diane/Artemis Bronze Bust, 1900
By Paul Gasq
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Large French Art Nouveau Bronze Bust Sculpture of Diane / Artemis by Paul Gasq (1860–1944), France, circa 1900. An exceptional and large French Art Nouveau bronze bust sculpture dep...
Marble, Bronze
Cast Bronze Pendant, Gunmetal Finish, Flor de Bronce Collection
By L'Aviva Home
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the layered significance of the calla lily in Mexican culture, this collection blends the bold heft of cast bronze with sculpted, flowing curves that echo the flower’s fo...
Bronze
$455Sale Price|30% Off
Antique Victorian Art Nouveau Leaded Stained Glass Floral Window Panel Framed
Located in Dayton, OH
Exquisite antique Art Nouveau leaded stained glass window. Features floral swags in blue, amber, purple and green over a clear paneled background. Framed in wood for ease of hangi...
Stained Glass
Antique Pocket Knife Nuremberg Water Fountain & Castle Scene 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
We are pleased to offer a charming early 20th-century souvenir pocket knife produced as an Souvenir of Nuremberg, Germany.. This vintage pocket knife features a relief of the famous ...
Metal
French Majolica Wild Rose Cake Stand Delphin Massier Circa 1890
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica Wild Rose Cake Stand Delphin Massier Circa 1890, 9.8 inches diameter , 4 inches height.
Ceramic, Majolica
$5,970
Thonet Bench 1860s
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thoner Bench Austria 1959
Bentwood
Set of 2 Antique Art Nouveau Picture Frames, Stained Oak, around 1910, Vienna
Located in Andernach, DE
Set of 2 antique stained oak picture frames in a wonderfully hand crafted shape. Vienna in the 1910s, these were the typical items to display on the wall to show portraits of your l...
Oak
Fratelli Toso Fenicia Art Glass Vase, Murano, Early 20th Century
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Art Glass Vase by Fratelli Toso, Murano, Italy, Early 20th Century. Rare Murano art glass vase by Fratelli Toso, Venice, Italy, dating from the early 20th century. This finely execu...
Art Glass
Beautiful flower jardiniere, Jugendstil Art Nouveau Eichwald green, Bohemia 1900
By Eichwald
Located in Wien, AT
A beautiful, classic flower jardinière, made by the renowned ceramics manufacturer Eichwald in Bohemia, circa 1900. The jardinière features typical Art Nouveau design. It has an ova...
Ceramic
French “Clichy” Pink Reeded Glass Pendant Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French “Clichy” pink coloured glass pendant lamp Brass glass holder Weight : 1.40 kg / 3.1 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international standar...
Brass
Gallé Signed, Large Acid Etched Overlay Banjo Form Vase, France, 1890
By Gallé
Located in Rijssen, NL
This exquisite Art Nouveau vase by Émile Gallé in Nancy is statement pieces in the room. Signed E. Gallé. Large Flattened banjo form cabinet vase with red currant decoration in clea...
Glass
French Art Nouveau Cherub Pendant Light in Carved Wood & Frosted Glass, ca. 1920
Located in Barntrup, DE
French Art Nouveau pendant light featuring a carved linden wood cherub with gilded wings and a frosted glass shade. This charming French Art Nouveau pendant light dates to the early...
Brass
Elegant early 20th century Swedish birch writing desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 20th century Swedish birch writing table circa 1910. We are pleased to offer this stunning Scandinavian writing desk, with art nouveau and deco influences. Veneered in a stun...
Birch
French Art Nouveau Lilac and White Glass Pendant Light by Muller Strasbourg
Located in Barntrup, DE
Refined French Art Nouveau pendant light featuring handcrafted pâte de verre glass with softly opaline diffusion by Muller Strasbourg, suspended on an ornate brass chain, circa 1920....
Brass
Early 20th Century, Danish Art Nouveau Armchair Reupholstered in Coal Bouclé
Located in Odense, DK
A beautiful Danish Art Nouveau armchair, crafted in stained birch wood and characterized by its strong architectural presence and refined classical detailing. The chair reflects the ...
Fabric, Textile, Bouclé, Wood, Birch
French “Clichy” Pink Reeded Glass Pendant Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French “Clichy” pink coloured glass pendant lamp Brass glass holder Weight : 1.30 kg / 2.9 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international standar...
Brass
Antique Art Nouveau Hand-Painted Papier-Mâché Jewelry or Pencil Box, c.1900
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A charming antique Art Nouveau papier-mâché box, beautifully hand-painted with a delicate botanical composition. The lid features finely rendered white blossoms intertwined with blue...
Lacquer, Paper
Jugendstil chandelier with original painted opaline glass vienna around 1908
Located in Wien, AT
Jugendstil chandelier with original painted opaline glass shades vienna around 1908 Brass polished and stove enameled Original opaline glass shades
Brass
$1,442 / set
Muller Frères Pair of Art Nouveau Wall Sconces
Located in NANTES, FR
Pair of Art Nouveau wall sconces, circa 1910. Gilt brass mount, pâte de verre shades signed Muller Frères Luneville. Wired, E14 socket. Small screw-in bulbs. In perfect condition. ...
Brass
Pair of Art Nouveau Style Table Lamps Pink Glass and Brass, France
By Baccarat
Located in Rijssen, NL
This is a pair of table lamps in the Art Nouveau style, likely from the early 20th century. The design features a brass or bronze base with a floral, lily-like motif. The lampshade...
Opaline Glass
Beautiful Silver Sacred Heart Ex Voto with Cherub Angel, Antique European, 1880s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Handmade Religious Ex-Voto A striking and delicately crafted religious Ex-Voto, sourced from an estate sale in Parma, Italy. The piece appears to be made from thin, lightw...
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
French Art Nouveau Copper Cut Glass Brass Sconce Wall Lamp
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French art nouveau wall lamp Semi frosted cut glass shade Copper wall piece and brass arm Weight: 1.70 kg / 3.7 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by ...
Brass, Copper
Antique Lily Pattern Whiting Sterling Silver Sauce or Cream Ladle
By Whiting Manufacturing Company
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique sauce or cream ladle. In sterling silver. By Whiting. In the Lily pattern. With a scalloped bowl and a figural handle. Marked to the reverse. Simply wonderful Am...
Sterling Silver
1920s Green Ceramic Vase, Upsala Ekeby, Sweden
By Anna-Lisa Thomson, Harald Östergren, Upsala Ekeby, Ingrid Atterberg, Allan Ebeling
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Antique emerald green art nouveau vase by Upsala Ekeby. Soft shaped shiny green and black organically glazed ceramic vase with two handles. Stamped and numbered under base. Beautif...
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
French Art Nouveau Brass Piano Lamp, Paris 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Art nouveau Brass piano lamp. Paris 1920s 2,5 meter black cotton flex, plug and switch in base B15 – bulb holder Available with UK / US plug B15 bulb holder. Priced per individua...
Brass
Art Nouveau Handmade Imperiale Royale, NIMY Planter Jardinière, 1930 Belgium
Located in Verviers, BE
Brilliant Handmade Majolica Hand-glazed Art Nouveau planter jardinière, 1920. Imperiale Royale, NIMY Handmade and hand-glazed in brilliant deta...
Majolica
René Lalique (1860-1945) « Panier de Roses » Box 1919
By René Lalique
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
René Lalique (1860-1945) « Panier de Roses » Box 1919 Two parts oval glass with a frosted basket of roses motif lid covering the clear bottom of the R. Lalique Box. White and blue ...
Glass
Set of 4 Bat Chairs by Josef Hoffmann for Wittmann Austria
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
The wood is a feast for the eyes. The seat cushions need replacing, as they have holes and wear marks. The back cushions are OK, but probably need reupholstering too.
Elm
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
“Night Castel” Lamp by Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte, Austria, circa 1920
By Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in London, GB
“Night Castel” Lamp by Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte, Austria, circa 1920. Made from brass and embossed on the side with Hoffmann’s monogram “JH” and “WIENER WERK STÄTTE,” the l...
Brass
jugendstil picture frame around 1910s
Located in Wien, AT
Jugendstil picture frame around 1910s Brass polished and stove enameled Glass in front Picture size max: H:16,5cm W: 11cm
Brass
Art Nouveau Vertico Cabinet with Flower Marquetry, France, Circa 1905
Located in Berlin, DE
This elegant Art Nouveau vertico cabinet, crafted in France around 1905, is a refined example of early 20th-century decorative artistry. Executed in warm-toned wood, the piece is dis...
Fruitwood, Walnut
Antique Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Silver GEC Glass Wall Lamp c.1910
By General Electric Company (GEC) 1
Located in London, GB
A beautifully crafted and rare antique silver plated wall light, made in England by the General Electric Company (GEC) c.1910. This refined piece of Edwardian lighting features exc...
Brass
Early 20th Century Viennese Bronze Pen Wipe Pig Figurine, circa 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful bronze pig figurine as a Pen Wipe, early 20th century – patinated This finely crafted, unpainted Viennese bronze or brass figurine is believed to date from the early 20th ...
Bronze
Josef Hoffmann & Wiener Werkstaette Jugendstil Table Lamp Re Edition
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Grooved casted column, copy of a signed and marked lamp, offered on an auction - see detail - compare to WW-Archive at the MAK - Object 3014, Inventnory# 119-23-1 Most components ac...
Brass
Edgar Brandt Bronze Paper Knife/Letter Opener
By Edgar Brandt
Located in NANTES, FR
Art Nouveau letter opener, circa 1905, in bronze. Decorated with ginkgo biloba leaves, stamped E. Brandt. In perfect condition. Length: 20 cm Width: 3.3 cm Thickness: 1 cm Weight...
Bronze
Adolf Loos Jugendstil Swivel-Mounted Silk Brass Wall-Lamp, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Adolf Loos
Located in Vienna, AT
Swivel-mounted wall-lamp, measures as desired either with a wall-plate for direct-wiring, or with the cable going down to plug in - in that case a weight can be mounted on the cable ...
Brass
$1,982Sale Price|25% Off
Authentic Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Vase with Wisteria Motif, circa 1910
By Émile Gallé
Located in Bochum, NRW
An exquisite authentic vase by Émile Gallé, master of French Art Nouveau glass. Circa 1910. Dimensions: Height 21 cm × Diameter 8 cm. This piece showcases a delicate interplay of pur...
Glass
$2,625Sale Price|30% Off
Monumental Antique Victorian Art Nouveau Leaded Stained Glass Window French Door
Located in Dayton, OH
A rare and exceptional reclaimed large two part leaded stained glass French Door / Window. Features a large rectangular frame with two 2-part hinged doors with separate operating win...
Stained Glass, Hardwood
Highly Ornamental Carlo Bugatti Desk & Chair Set, c.1910
Located in EVERDINGEN, NL
This rare writing desk and matching chair showcase Carlo Bugatti’s imaginative, eccentric brilliance - a strikingly unconventional choice for bold interior curators and collectors with a taste for the extraordinary. Created circa 1910, the set features Bugatti’s iconic fusion of exotic materials and architectural fantasy: walnut, vellum, pewter and bone intarsia, punched copper, and long silk tassels, all composed into forms that feel both ancient and avant-garde. The desk showcases six small drawers bearing enigmatic, glyph-like script, while lacquered oak acorn...
Copper, Pewter
Josef Hoffmann Jugendstil Wiener Werkstaette Art Nouveau Coat Hook, Re-Edition
By Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Very elegant handmade coat-hook. Literature: Waltraud Neuwirth, Wiener Werkstaette – Avant Garde Art Deco, Industrial Design, 1985 Vienna p. 49. Different hooks are available see pic...
Brass
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
Antique Art Nouveau Vanity / Table Mirror "The First Cuckoo" by WMF
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in San Diego, CA
Vintage Art Nouveau Vanity / Table Mirror "The First Cuckoo" by WMF, circa 1906. A poetic example of Jugendstil artistry, this vintage Art Nouveau vanity or tabletop mirror titled “T...
Brass, Copper
20th Century Art Nouveau Majolica Vase by Gerbing & Stephan, AT ca. 1910
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Remarkable, rare Art Nouveau majolica vase by the world famous manufactory of Gerbing & Stephan from the early period in Austria around 1910. The beautiful shaped grey blue color...
Ceramic, Majolica
Luzette Pendant Light By Peter Behrens For Siemens Circa 1920s
By Siemens
Located in Gloucester, GB
Luzette Pendant Light By Peter Behrens For Siemens Circa 1920s - Opaline glass bottom and top - Takes E27 fitting bulbs - Model L1521 - Produced by Siemens & Schukert, Berlin - Desi...
Opaline Glass
1920s Art Nouveau Brass & Glass Pendant Lamp, Ceiling Light, Jena, Germany
By Peter Behrens, Carl Zeiss, Jena Glassworks, Zeiss Ikon
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming and elegant Art Nouveau / Jugendstil “industrial” design ceiling lamp from the 1920s. Made in Germany, the body and decorative ring are crafted from brass, while the lampshade / reflector is made of the well-known Jena glass...
Brass
French Art Nouveau Brass & Frosted Glass Table Desk Light
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French frosted glass, brass desk light / table lamp 2,5 meter black cotton wire, plug and switch Available with UK / US plug Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made su...
Brass
Art Nouveau Table Lamp by Muller Frères for Hettier & Vincent, France ca. 1910
By Muller Frères, Hettier & Vincent
Located in Meulebeke, BE
France / 1910 / Table lamp / Muller Frères / glass and metal / Art Nouveau A magnificent and authentic French Art Nouveau table lamp, crafted circa 1910 by the esteemed glassmakers ...
Wrought Iron
French Art Nouveau Brass Pink Satin Glass Pendant Light 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
French Art Nouveau glass lamp Brass bulb holder with Pink & White glass shade. 2 meter / 80 inches black cotton wire. Weight: 0.60 kg / 1.3 lb Priced per individual item. All lamp...
Brass
20th Century Jugendstil Cold-Painted Bronze Elephant Rider Table Lamp, Germany
Located in North Miami, FL
Early 20th century Jugendstil cold-painted bronze elephant rider table lamp, Germany By: Franz Bergmann (in the style of), Nam Greb (in the style of) Material: bronze, copper, tin, ...
Metal, Bronze, Copper, Tin