What is The Difference Between Art Deco and Art Nouveau?

What is Art Nouveau?

Art Nouveau is a style that originated in the late 19th Century. The movement was fueled by contemporary culture’s desire to find a median between burgeoning industrialization and nature. The repetition of bold forms such as circles, parabolas, and the iconic whiplash curve help characterize the style. Other important hallmarks include ashy colors, floral motifs, and natural materials like wood and stone.

What is Art Deco?

In contrast, Art Deco is a design movement that began in the 1920s. Inspired by industrialization, it focused on straight lines and sharp corners. Rich colors, plenty of geometric shapes, and opulent materials like ivory, jade, and lacquer define the style. These designs are especially apparent in Art Deco bedroom furniture. Colorful, scalloped headboards are an especially popular talisman of the era. Art Deco furniture style also includes motifs like chevron and zigzag patterns, Animalia textiles and statues, and abstract images of nude women.

Outside of interiors, Art Deco architecture is on display in many buildings from the era. 1920s buildings like the Chrysler Building and the Rockerfeller Center showcase textbook Art Deco architecture. Innately intricate and with jagged, pointed edges, these buildings helped inspire the Art Deco interior style.

What is the Origin of Art Nouveau?

Industrialization powered the latter half of the 19th Century. Designers of the era challenged themselves to create an entirely new design concept that was indebted to modernism but also paid homage to the historical influence of nature. The dichotomy resulted in Art Nouveau. Among the most enduring forms of Art Nouveau design are Tiffany Studios stained glass lamps and colorful posters featuring goddess-like women positioned among scrolling florals and vines. Alphonse Mucha was one of the most prominent artists to create this style of poster.

What is Art Deco’s History?

During Art Deco’s heyday, designers constructed Art Deco furniture and Art Deco buildings to look geometrically perfect. The first truly industrialized style, Art Deco took and glamorized industrial motifs. In the wake of WWI, Europe was reeling from the destruction and, collectively, Europeans were craving luxuries that they had previously gone without. As a result, Art Deco incorporated much richer colors and more sumptuous materials than Art Nouveau.