Aesthetics, Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau: Vis. Art, Architecture, Material Culture

[BlueSprout]

This is a thread about eye candy/design inspiration from the Aesthetics/Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau movements. As long as it's a visual representation of one of the styles, it's all good.

Examples: CR Mackintosh furniture, slag glass lamps, Klimt friezes, World's Fair ephemera, etc.

This is also a place to discuss any crafts, theories, practices and artists related to these styles. Ideas communicated by the art, patronage, craftsmanship vs. manufacturing, the bourgeois aesthetic vs. modernism, the role of 'modern style' architecture in the cultural development of cities, etc. are definitely relevant. Any vaguely related movements and artists/craftspeople/manufacturers as well as any modern adaptations of the styles are also welcome topics.

I'll start with some of Gaudi's architecture:

"For Gaudi, form did not follow structure and construction. It was identical
with them."

 

[Hirsch63]

Are you interested in just the European manifestations of the movements? I lately discovered the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on 19th century decorative arts. The prints were first discovered as packing material in the crates of imported china. There seems to be much to recommend them as an inspiration to a number of designers.
In the States, the work of the german immigrant Herter Bros. of New York takes the aesthetic style to glorious heights in architectural interiors as well as furnishings...I'd love to post some example but I just can't figure out how to copy pictures into a post without having them come up as thumbnails....

 

[brainheart]

I love Gaudi so much it's absurd.

Japanese art was a huge influence of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse as well.

Cool stained glass from Frank LLoyd Wright:

 

[BlueSprout]

Are you interested in just the European manifestations of the movements? I lately discovered the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on 19th century decorative arts. The prints were first discovered as packing material in the crates of imported china. There seems to be much to recommend them as an inspiration to a number of designers.
In the States, the work of the german immigrant Herter Bros. of New York takes the aesthetic style to glorious heights in architectural interiors as well as furnishings...I'd love to post some example but I just can't figure out how to copy pictures into a post without having them come up as thumbnails....

Everything remotely related is relevant. I'm eager to learn more. The Japanese influence on European aestheticism is most definitely interesting to me, though I admit I know little about Edo and Meiji period arts in and of themselves. I understand that the opening of Japan caused some changes in the Japanese aesthetic and production of art, but I don't know anything specific.

I love the Anglo-Japanese textiles and porcelain of the 19th century.

Transferware was used in the 18th century and Chinoiserie. Of course, Chinoiserie remained highly popular, as did the (especially blue and white) porcelain often associated with it. It was later used in conjunction with Japanese motifs following the opening of Japan to the West and the interest in its culture and aesthetic that followed – remember Whistler's fascination with and cooptation of Japanese styles. (Also Van Gogh, Gauguin and Matisse as brainheart mentioned, along with countless others). I remember reading somewhere that the asymmetry of a lot of the display plates of the Victorians demonstrated a break from stuffy formality.

Some Victorian transferware and other Japanesque porcelain.

Also, the textiles and home decor of the 19th century increasingly reflected the burgeoning interest in Japan. The Anglo-Japanese woodblock style heavily influenced the aesthetic movement.

William Morris's trellises spring to my mind, especially:

I'm not familiar with the Herter Brothers. I'd love to know/see more. You can click 'Go Advanced' when you reply and click on the yellow icon with the mountain above the box where you place your text. A window will pop open and you can copy and paste the URL in it. Presto! You can share pics.

 

[BlueSprout]

I love Gaudi so much it's absurd.

Japanese art was a huge influence of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse as well.

Cool stained glass from Frank LLoyd Wright:

Hmmm. I was also thinking about this image and it reminds me of a Mackintosh Rose motif (see below examples of C.R. Mackintosh roses). I did some searching and found that this was listed as Frank Lloyd Wright's on one website via google images, but IS in fact listed as a CR Mackintosh on other sites:

Invite First Draft | Weddingbee
Mackintosh Attractions in Glasgow | Venere Travel Blog
also on flickr: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/104/304516308_4142105a08.jpg
Cannon | MacInnes :: House for an Art Lover (C R Mackintosh)

Wright's glass is much more geometric and less organic than most of that of Mackintosh. Sorry. I'm not trying to be nitpicky...

Mackintosh Rose motifs in windows:

 

[Hirsch63]

Well, while I try to find a decent photo of Herter's japanese influenced pieces here is a very interesting evaluation of design process...

Geometry of a Herter Brothers Cabinet

 

[BlueSprout]

Well, while I try to find a decent photo of Herter's japanese influenced pieces here is a very interesting evaluation of design process...

Geometry of a Herter Brothers Cabinet

This is a great link. Sometimes the geometric balance (or 'Greek definition of "symmetry"') of a composition or piece is lost on me except in theory. This helps a sensotard like me visualize the division of space.

Thank you.

 

[OrangeAppled]

The Japanese influence on European aestheticism is most definitely interesting to me

Me too...I absolutely love the mix. Art Nouveau is one of my favorite periods/styles.

Of course, Beardsley is cool:

 

[sofmarhof]

If you like this you might like the book Retro: The Culture of Revival, which describes the revival of Art Nouveau and Art Deco in the 50s/60s/70s. Interesting fact: nobody called it Art Deco until the second time it came around. There's some interesting info on Beardsley.

 

[BlueSprout]

Me too...I absolutely love the mix. Art Nouveau is one of my favorite periods/styles.

Of course, Beardsley is cool:

Hmmm, this is an Edmund Dulac print (he was another illustrater that was roughly contemporary). It is from a Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Snow Queen. See links below.

Gerda and the Reindeer
Vault Catalog | UBC Library Vault
Gerda and the Reindeer : Edmund Dulac art print

Beardsley was known for his often monochromatic block prints, which you would probably recognize right away: they are commonly seen on posters, post cards and even coffee mugs today. Here are some below:

If you like this you might like the book Retro: The Culture of Revival, which describes the revival of Art Nouveau and Art Deco in the 50s/60s/70s. Interesting fact: nobody called it Art Deco until the second time it came around. There's some interesting info on Beardsley.

I'll have to check this out. I knew about the anachronism of the 'Art Deco' designation, but don't know how it came about. I'm curious about the revival; I'm not terribly familiar with it, admittedly. Thanks.

 

[BlueSprout]

Dumping some more Gaudi for the heck of it.

Ceramic Tile and Mosaics:

Leaded Glass:

 

[demimondaine]

< bookmarked for its prettiness.

LOVE c.r. mackintosh! was lucky to see some of his stuff in and around glasgow a few years back with my family.

 

[BlueSprout]

< bookmarked for its prettiness.

LOVE c.r. mackintosh! was lucky to see some of his stuff in and around glasgow a few years back with my family.

I envy you. You must have had a blast. Any of these familiar?

I'm having a harder time finding good details of the original friezes, textiles and plaques online, but will continue looking. Even good quality images of the rooms he collaborated on with Kate Cranston are hard to find.

 

[BlueSprout]

Still looking for good details of CR Mackintosh textiles (especially his tulips, chenille fabric) and motifs. Until then, here is some more Mackintosh.



Panels and details of panels/miniatures by Margaret Mackintosh (Charles' Wife):

Margaret Mackintosh Inspired Art by Dai and Jenny Vaughan:

And miscellaneous Mackintosh reproduction freestanding sculptures.

 

[OrangeAppled]

Hmmm, this is an Edmund Dulac print (he was another illustrater that was roughly contemporary). It is from a Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Snow Queen. See links below.

The drawing I linked was Beardsley The Climax. That site must have some prevention of hot-linking because another photo showed up.

If you visit the link:
http://www.artsycraftsy.com/beardsley/salome.jpg

 

[BlueSprout]

The drawing I linked was Beardsley The Climax. That site must have some prevention of hot-linking because another photo showed up.

If you visit the link:
http://www.artsycraftsy.com/beardsley/salome.jpg

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I should have guessed that it was a problem with the link itself. I guess I must have been eager for the opportunity to post some more pretty pictures.

However, it keeps linking to Dulac. Is there any other site where you can link to the pics from the Salome series you want? This one doesn't seem like it wants to cooperate at all.

 

[BlueSprout]

No history. Just candy for the eyes.

Lightly glazed porcelain/ceramic figures, vases, etc. from the Art Nouveau tradition.

 

[BlueSprout]

I feel like I have to make a serious post now. Here's a little basic info on the artist in case anyone is curious.

William de Morgan was a member of the Arts and Crafts movement who worked in tile and earthenware. Arts and Crafts movement artists valued naturalism and rejected the mass production of former crafts that increasingly catered to the tastes and growing consumer culture of the bourgeoisie. Like his contemporaries, de Morgan looked to past eras and distant cultures to perfect his glazing technique (which he fiddled with for years) and develop his aesthetic. His mature work incorporated Turkish and Persian motifs and palettes, allowing him to create vivid, naturalistic and dynamic surfaces. While his aesthetic reflected the movement's emphasis on natural form, his work was more elaborate than that of many of his contemporaries - though the Arts and Crafts movement itself was so eclectic that it is difficult if not impossible to define its general aesthetic. His wife was Evelyn de Morgan, the pre-Raphaelite painter, and I may post some of her work later.

William de Morgan Tiles:

William de Morgan Vases and Plates:

 

[OrangeAppled]

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I should have guessed that it was a problem with the link itself. I guess I must have been eager for the opportunity to post some more pretty pictures.

However, it keeps linking to Dulac. Is there any other site where you can link to the pics from the Salome series you want? This one doesn't seem like it wants to cooperate at all.

Oh yeah, here's the page I got it from:

Aubrey Beardsley Art Prints

Apparently that site was a bad choice to link from

 

[BlueSprout]

Oh yeah, here's the page I got it from:

Aubrey Beardsley Art Prints

Apparently that site was a bad choice to link from

Do you mind if I find other links to the images listed on that page so I can add them to the pretty eye candy here?