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In the early 1900's Art Nouveau took its hold on Europe with France and Belguim being the leaders, they were applying Art Nouveau to almost everything using whiplash designs and lifeforms , mainly organic. A motto on the front of a Secessionist House in Vienna by JM Olbrich reads Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit- To Each Epoch, Its Art. To Art, Its freedom, It was this freedom of design and statement that allowed the passions of the Architects and Designers to excel.
Hector Guimard (1867-1942)
Hector Guimard was born in Lyon, France and studied at the Ecole de Nancy and the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He went on to become an Architect and interior designer for private houses all over Paris. His first big commision was the interior of the Grand Neptune Restaurant in Paris. He designed the Castel Beranger which earned him high praise and many more commissions with probably his most famous being the Paris Metro Entrances. Today these are recognised as some of Frances most important pieces of Art Nouveau, I personally think one of Europes most important. He also designed furniture in the highly desirable L'ecole de Nancy style, today his furniture is highly sought after and commands a high premium.
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>>> View Images <<< (Paris Metro Entrances and Buildings By Hector Guimard)
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Victor Horta (1861-1947)
Victor Horta was born in Ghent, Belgium, He enrolled at Ghent Academy studying architecture . Two years later he left for Paris where he worked for Jules Dubuysson's workshop for more than a year. On his return to Belgium, he took up an apprenticeship at Balat's, an Architect who designed the famous greenhouses at Laeken and while working for Balat he went onto win numerous awards. In 1885 Horta designed some of his first houses. But it is with the Hotel Tassel (1893) that Victor Horta first expressed his fantastic original talent, he invented a completely new practice of building where the use of exposed ironwork and glass facades would be the dominant feature , this proved to be so popular and in demand it went on to be used all over Europe. He designed the following buildings which are today recognised as true masterpieces, Lambeaux Pavillion (1889), Mattyn House (1889), Hotel Solvay(1898), Maison du Peuple (1899), his own house (now the Victa Horta Museum, 1901), Monument to Brahms (1902 in Vienna) department stores such as L'Innovation (1903), Grand Bazaar Department Store (1903 Frankfurt) and Waucquez Warehouse (1906) , He also designed the Bruggman Hospital in Brussels (106). These are just a few of the buildings he dseigned, most of them being in Brussels, because of this by 1932 Victor Horta was held in such admiration that he was bestowed with the title of Baron.
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>>>>> View images of The Victor Horta House <<<<<
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Louis Majorelle (1859-1926)
Louis Majorelle was born in toul, France. His father Auguste, moved the family to Nancy and set up a furniture company. Although Louis Majorelle did goto Paris to study and work it was cut short by the death of his father and he returned to Nancy to run the family business. In 1901 he became one of the founder members of the Ecole de Nancy and remained one of its Vice Presidents throughout, along with Emile Galle. Louis Majorelles furniture exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exhibition and this drew him an international clientbase , today his works are highly sought after as it is internationally recognised that he was one of the most prolific Art Nouveau furniture designers of the era. He also designed Metalware and Ironwork. He had his houme built in Nancy not from the school. ( House )
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>>>>> View images of The Louis Majorelle House <<<<<
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Emile Galle (1846-1904)
Emile Galle was born in Nancy, France and went on to Head the L'Ecole de Nancy, this itself is a statement to his skills as membership to this elite school of craftsmen was very difficult and select. He was one of the most prominent and prolific designers of glass of the era. his glass mainly took on forms of an organic fom including florals. He also designed furniture, ceramics and Jewellery. He became interested in glass through his Fathers glass company. Galle cameo glass was acid etched and wheel cut which only the best craftsmen could do, Multiple layers of glass was applied and then removed to create the designs.
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Rene Lalique (1860-1945)
Born in Ay, France he went on to work for Boucheron and Cartier, Rene Lalique set up his own studio in 1885 and soon emerged to be one of the finest French Art Nouveau jewellers of the era. He also designed Perfume Bottles, Vases, Chandelliers, clocks and car bonnet mascots. The glass of Rene Lalique is mainly Art Deco and will appear in our Art Deco Section.
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Charles Rene Mackintosh (1868-1928)
Born in Glasgow, he studied at the Glasgow School of Art where he was to meet Herbert Mcnair and the Macdonald sisters Margaret and Frances. Margaret was to become his wife, they went onto be known as the 'Glasgow Four'. In 1884 he began training as an architect for Honeyman & Keppie. In 1890, he won a few contests which to helped to obtain his first orders. Charles Rene Mackintosh is one of the most important representatives of the Art Nouveau Era , determining trends especially with his furniture, he was also inspired by symbolism and Japanese art and developed its decoration using linear, particular and incomparable styles. His major works are the Glasgow School of art (1897-99 and its extension with the library in 1907-09), The Cranston Tea Rooms in Glasgow (1897-1911) and Hill House at Helensburgh (1902).
