Art Nouveau

"Reine de Joie" by Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec

Art Nouveau or  Jugendstil was developed from 1890 to the first world war. This was a new style in reaction to historical forms when it comes to architecture and design. Some of it's main characteristics include the use of asymmetrical lines based on plant forms: flowers, leafs, and tendril motifs as well as female figures with flowering hair like. Such characteristics were found in interior design, metal work, glassware and jewellery. It had also a major influence in illustrations and poster designs. Such a style was found in a number of countries in Europe, some of which are: France, Germany, Britain, Austria, Italy and Spain. This style involved artists/ designers who specialised in certain sectors. For instance Alphonse Mucha and Jules Cheret were synonymous with posters, Aubrey Beardsley and Walter Crane were more into book illustrations, while Theophile Alexandre Steinlen was famous for his printmaking, etc...


This video presents the concepts of Art Nouveau in further detail:

Nowadays influences from Art Nouveau

The modern-day influence of Art Nouveau extends far beyond just the world of illustration. These images below shows perfectly how Art Nouveau were a source of inspiration to their work. 

The Coca Cola logo, originally designed in 1885, was certainly a product of the Art Nouveau era.

Logo design for the Martin Ring Company.

Identity design for Natasha Balabanova.

Starbucks logo; throughout the years Starbucks kept their style of Nouveau era.

A wine bottle design with Nouveau tendrils.

Label design for Sweet Victory Semillon.

Nouveau typography by Daren Newman.

Nouveau typography, in Cyrillic and Roman alphabet, by Irina Vinnik.

Web design by Focus Lab inspired by Nouveau style.

Reference

Wolf Justin., 2013. Art Nouveau. [online] The Art Story Foundation. Available at: <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-art-nouveau.htm> [Accessed October 2013].

BBC Documentary The Allure of Art Nouveau. 2013. [video] Directed by Wild, A., Wink, P. Britain: BBC Documentaries. [Accessed October 2013].

Bigman, A., 2012. Get Inspired. Good call, Bon Iver: Art Nouveau design inspiration, [blog] 19 September. Available at: <http://99designs.com/designer-blog/2012/09/19/good-call-bon-iver-art-nouveau-design-inspiration/> [Accessed October 2013].