Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau

Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879)

  • Background & Influence:

    • Foremost theorist in France during the 19th century.

    • His practice primarily involved the restoration of Gothic buildings such as St. Denis and Notre Dame de Paris.

    • Published renowned works:

    • Entretiens sur l’architecture

    • Dictionnaire raisonné du l’architecture du XIe au XVIe siècle

  • Architectural Vision:

    • Advocated for the development of a 19th-century architecture that utilized new materials, especially iron, similar to Gothic architects' use of the rib vault and flying buttress.

  • Academia:

    • Served as a professor of theory at Beaux-Arts for a year in 1863.

Victor Horta (1861-1947)

  • Key Works & Style:

    • Breakthrough building: Emile Tassel House (1893).

    • Notable for its open plan, iron structure, and organic, plant-inspired ornamentation.

    • Other significant commissions include the Maison de Peuple.

    • Transitioned to Neo-Classical style by 1900.

  • Education & Career:

    • Born in Ghent; initially trained in music but switched to architecture.

    • Studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Art.

    • Apprenticed in Paris (1878-1880) and returned to Brussels due to his father's death.

    • Established independent practice in 1885; taught at Université Libre de Bruxelles (1892-1911).

  • Post-War Work:

    • Taught at George Washington University during World War I.

    • Returned to a more severe architectural style, embodying stripped classicism.

    • Last major project: Central Railway Station in Brussels.

Key Buildings by Victor Horta

  • Tassel House

    • Location: Brussels, Belgium

    • Built: 1892-1893

  • Horta House

    • Location: Brussels, Belgium

    • Built: 1895 onwards

  • Maison du Peuple

    • Location: Brussels

    • Built: 1896

    • Function: Seat of the Belgian Worker's Party

Exposition Universelle de 1900

  • Overview:

    • Fifth Universal Exposition held in Paris since 1855, held every 11 years.

    • Previous expositions highlighted significant events and achievements; 1900 emphasized colonial expansion and electrical technology.

  • Exhibition Grounds:

    • Expanded across the Seine to the Right Bank with new buildings:

    • Grand Palais

    • Petit Palais

    • Linked to the main exhibition area by Pont Alexandre III.

  • Achievements:

    • High expectations for French participation, but foreign exhibitors like Louis Comfort Tiffany also had significant success.

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933)

  • Background:

    • Son of jeweler Charles Tiffany, initially trained as a painter then switched to glassworks in 1879, forming Louis Comfort Tiffany and Associated Artists.

  • Notable Works:

    • Interiors for the Mark Twain House and the White House (now destroyed).

    • Developed opalescent glass in collaboration with Louis Hight; created landscape window designs 1893-1920.

  • Manufacturing:

    • Established glassworks in Kokomo, Indiana post-1888, continued production until the bankruptcy during the Great Depression.

Hector Guimard (1867-1942)

  • Early Life & Education:

    • Born in Lyon and attended art schools; studied at École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

  • Architectural Contributions:

    • Influenced by Viollet-le-Duc, he combined medieval materials with iron and glass.

    • Gained fame with Pavillon d’Electricité at the Exposition Universelle of 1889.

    • Designed Castel Beranger, transforming it into an Art Nouveau structure.

  • Major Projects:

    • Ambitious project: Salle Humbert de Romans, a concert hall, which was financially unsuccessful and demolished in 1907.

    • Created distinctive entrances for the Paris Metro, with several station designs based on similar vegetative motifs.

    • Many original designs were lost, but some simple railed entrances remain.

  • Later Life:

    • Remained committed to Art Nouveau despite its decline in popularity; emigrated to the US shortly before WWII, dying in NYC in 1942.

Key Buildings by Hector Guimard

  • Castel Beranger

    • Location: Paris

    • Built: 1897

  • Métro Stations

    • Notable examples:

    • Station de Bastille (1897-1902)

    • Abbesses Station (1900)

Antoni Gaudi (1856-1926)

  • Background:

    • Born in Catalonia, Spain. Strongly influenced by his Catholic faith and love for Catalonia.

  • Key Patron:

    • Eusebi Güell, who provided financial support for significant projects including Palau Güell and Sagrada Familia.

  • Major Works:

    • Park Güell (Barcelona, 1890)

    • Casa Batlló (Barcelona, 1905)

    • Casa Milà (Barcelona, 1905)

    • Sagrada Familia (ongoing since 1884); remains unfinished.

Important Locations by Antoni Gaudi

  • Park Güell

    • Location: Barcelona, Spain

    • Completed: 1890

  • Casa Batlló

    • Location: Barcelona, Spain

    • Completed: 1905

  • Casa Milà

    • Location: Barcelona, Spain

    • Completed: 1905

  • Sagrada Familia

    • Location: Barcelona, Spain

    • Construction: Began 1884 and continues to the present day.