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Art Nouveau Posters

ART NOUVEAU STYLE

Paris in the 19th century was a matrix of modernity, and original Art Nouveau posters were key to the fabric of the cosmopolitan thoroughfare in the French capital. The city street — the artery of commerce and the venue of the promenade — was central to the ever-accelerating sense of contemporary life in Paris. And whether advertising the latest tobacco product or a must-see cabaret star, the poster communicated the richness of the urban experience

Through his bold advances in chromolithography and the graphic arts, Jules Chéret and the younger talents he inspired — like Pierre Bonnard, Alphonse Mucha and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — along with other artists, turned the stone-gray streets of Paris into a kaleidoscopic, ever-changing urban spectacle. With larger-than-life imagery, these artists helped define the Art Nouveau movement and created poster advertisements for performers, music halls, theaters, department stores, aperitifs, bicycles and cigarettes that were so gay and grand that Parisians from every walk of life felt compelled to “collect” them, whether by stripping them surreptitiously from the walls of buildings or buying “collectible” versions in print shops or from poster books.

In their sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau posters and wall decor, decorative objects and other furniture reflect 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 posters, decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.

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Style: Art Nouveau
Creator: Alphonse Mucha
Alphonse Mucha Figures Decoratives Poster Plate 29
Located in Dallas, TX
A framed Art Nouveau lithograph collotype poster by Alphone Mucha from 1905 representing the artist’s sketches of nudes, women and beautiful ladies in blacks and white pigments on ve...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Sarah Bernhardt Lefèvre-Utile 1903
Located in Dallas, TX
Mucha, Alfons Maria 1860 - 1939 Lefevre-Utile - Sarah Bernhardt Lithograph 1903 Dimensions: 27.5 x 20 in. (70 x 51 cm) Framed: 28 x 35.5 Inches Printe...
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Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Figures Decoratives Poster Plate 9
Located in Dallas, TX
A framed Art Nouveau lithograph collotype poster by Alphone Mucha from 1905 representing the artist’s sketches of nudes, women and beautiful ladies in blacks and white pigments on ve...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Figures Decoratives Plate 4
Located in Dallas, TX
A framed Art Nouveau lithograph collotype poster by Alphone Mucha from 1905 representing the artist’s sketches of nudes, women and beautiful ladies in blacks and white pigments on ve...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Figures Decoratives Poster Plate 7
Located in Dallas, TX
A framed Art Nouveau lithograph collotype poster by Alphone Mucha from 1905 representing the artist’s sketches of nudes, women and beautiful ladies in red umber and white pigments on...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Figures Decoratives Plate 3
Located in Dallas, TX
A framed Art Nouveau lithograph collotype poster by Alphone Mucha from 1905 representing the artist’s sketches of nudes, women and beautiful ladies in blues and white pigments on vel...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Figures Decoratives Plate 30
Located in Dallas, TX
A framed Art Nouveau lithograph collotype poster by Alphone Mucha from 1905 representing the artist’s sketches of nudes, women and beautiful ladies in blues and white pigments on vel...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Mucha, Job, Original Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Poster, Gold, Cigarette Paper 1896
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Original Art Nouveau Vintage Poster dating from 1896 by Alphonse Mucha for Job, Cigarette paper. Artist: Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) Tit...
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19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Mucha, Waverley Cycles, Original Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Vintage Poster, 1898
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Original Art Nouveau Vintage Poster dating from 1898 by Alphonse Mucha. Artist: Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) Title: Waverley Cycles Date: 1898 Size (w x h): 33.9 x 42.9 in / 86 x 109 cm Printer: F. Champenois, 66 Bd St Michel, Paris. Materials and Techniques: Colour lithograph on paper Linen backing: Yes Condition: A (Designates a poster in very good condition. The colours are fresh and there are no or very few paper losses. If there are imperfections they are marginal and imperceptible). Additional Details: « Harry Reynaud, Directeur Général pour la France...
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19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Flirt Biscuits Lefevre Utile Poster
Located in Dallas, TX
Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939) Flirt Biscuits Lefevre Utile. 1899, Lithograph in colors on wove paper. Linen backed. Imp F. Champenois Paris. Measu...
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1890s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha JOB Original Poster, 1898
Located in Dallas, TX
Alphonse Mucha 1898 "JOB" poster. Printed by: “Imp. F Champenois 66 Boul, St Michel, Paris” in 1898 Very good (A-) condition with toning throughout and less under matting. Linen backed with contemporary frame under plexiglass ready to hang. Measures: Poster 61 x 41 inches Frame 63.5 x 45 inches Poster for 'Job' cigarette paper (1898) 'JOB' is a trademark for the Joseph Bardou company, manufacturers of cigarette papers. In this poster, Mucha’s stylised depiction of hair, known at the time as macaroni or vermicelli, is both decorative and sensual. With her curled up toe – a symbol of female sexual arousal – and the raised tip of her cigarette, Mucha produces a sexually charged poster. The clasp which holds the woman’s dress together, based on the Job monogramme, draws the eye of the viewer to her chest. This is a Mucha...
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1890s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Mucha, Salon des Cent, Original Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Vintage Poster, 1896
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Original Art Nouveau Vintage Poster dating from 1896 by Alphonse Mucha. Poster for the 20th edition of the Salon des Cent in March-April 1...
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19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

Alphonse Mucha Pair of "Byzantine Heads" Lithographs
Located in New York, NY
A pair of French "Byzantine Heads" lithographs by Alphonse Mucha. The mastery evident in creating two archetypes of the female form against a decorative...
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1890s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Giltwood, Paper

Art Nouveau Alphonse Mucha Original JOB Poster, 1898
Located in North Bergen, NJ
Alphonse Mucha 1898 JOB poster. Excellent condition with beautiful frame under plexiglass ready to hang. Poster for 'Job' cigarette paper (1898) 'JOB' is a ...
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1890s Antique Art Nouveau Posters

Materials

Paper

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11 Alphonse Mucha Posters
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As shown.
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11 Alphonse Mucha Posters
11 Alphonse Mucha Posters
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Alphonse Mucha "Gismonda" Lithograph
Alphonse Mucha "Gismonda" Lithograph
H 85 in W 29.25 in D 1.5 in
Alphonse Mucha Antique Biscuit Lefevre Labels, circa 1900 Signed
Located in Hudson, NY
Offered is a vintage signed Alphonse Mucha Buscuit LeFevre label lithograph. Mucha was a prolific artist who produced a great deal of work throughout his lifetime, perhaps unexpectedly including a significant quantity of work produced directly for the advertising arena. This particular piece was created in 1897 for the French company Lefèvre Utile...
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French Art Nouveau Lithograph "Flirt Biscuits" by Mucha
Located in New York, NY
A French Art Nouveau lithograph, "Flirt Biscuits", by Alphonse Mucha. "Flirt" was one of the brands of biscuits made by Lefevre-Utile who gave Mucha a number of commissions over the ...
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Alphonse Mucha Biscuits Lefeure Utile Poster, 1897
Located in Dallas, TX
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Located in Dallas, TX
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"La Plume-Zodiac" French Art Nouveau Lithograph by Alphonse Mucha
Located in New York, NY
A French Art Nouveau "La Plume - Zodiac" lithograph by Alphonse Mucha. With Zodiac, Mucha reaches the full maturity of his style, with every one of his signature design elements in...
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1890s French Antique Art Nouveau Posters

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Art Nouveau posters for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Art Nouveau posters for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage posters created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Art Nouveau posters made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Germany pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original posters, popular names associated with this style include Alphonse Mucha, Jules Chéret, Leonetto Cappiello, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. 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 posters differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $277 and tops out at $84,534 while the average work can sell for $3,054.

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