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American Craftsman, antique, Art Nouveau, arts, arts and crafts, buffet, decorative, decorative arts, lamp, modern, movement, oak, peacock, Secession, server, Sideboard, Stile Liberty, Tiffany, Victorian, Victorianism
The Art Nouveau and Anglo-Japanese styles as well as the Arts and Crafts and Aesthetic movements have their origins in the Victorian period. Historians refer to this group collectively as Victorian decorative arts because of the excessive ornamentation, eclectic reinterpretations of history, and emerging foreign influences of the Middle East and Asia.
During the Victorian era, ornamentation was the unifying characteristic among cabinetmakers and designers. This era reflects reinterpretation and eclectic revival of historical styles remixed with Middle-Eastern and Asian influences. Artisans, cabinetmakers, and woodworkers drew inspiration from various iconic and historical periods including Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, and Neoclassical revivals.
Arts and Crafts Movement
In the final years of the 19th Century, America saw the origins of the Arts and Crafts Style (American Craftsman). It was inspired by the earlier English Arts and Crafts movement—it began around the philosophy and artistry of William Morris from the 1860s as a sociocultural reaction to the Industrial Revolution. Both movements served as living protests against overblown aesthetics and interior design of the Victorian period.
Arts and Crafts Cherry Vanity Set
Arts and Crafts Moss Green/Red Traditional Floor Lamp
Designers sought to achieve the reverse of industrialization: to uplift and praise the individual worker by emphasizing hand-made artistry and downplaying mass-produced goods. One common design space of this period was the “breakfast nook.” With less emphasis on household staff than the Victorian period and more wives cooking for families, the kitchen became a family-oriented space—effectively making kitchen and dining furniture quite popular during the Arts and Crafts period.
Art Nouveau Style
Toward the end of the 19th Century and Victorianism, artists and designers looked to nature for fresh lines; artisans sought a new school of art for the modern age: Art Nouveau: “new art.” Whiplash curves, subtle colors, as well as organic and flowing plant forms formed the backbone of Art Nouveau. Historians also argue that Art Nouveau style—like the Arts and Crafts movement—was another response to the Industrial Revolution and academic art.
Art Nouveau Tiffany Peacock Lamp
Art Nouveau Antique Oak Buffet Sideboard Server
Art Nouveau has many names and different design details depending on region or country of origin. In Germany, is it Jugendstil and translates to “youth style.” It is called Modern in Russia. Austria-Hungary calls it Secession, and Italy refers to the style as Stile Liberty. Worldwide, Art Nouveau represents a fresh look at youthful ornamentation and the contradicting duality between traditional and progressive ideals. Art Nouveau designers sought to create harmony among all of the creative arts in order to yield one “total work of art.”