In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.
ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.
The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.
In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers.
The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.
Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass.
Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).
Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.
There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.
Vintage Antique Ceramic Serveware in Good Condition, Unique Design
Located in Uppsala , SE
Art Nouveau majolica wall plate or dish featuring a floral relief design with pink-and-white bell flowers and fluid green and brown glazed decoration. Similar turn-of-the-20th-centu...
Majolica
Antique Villeroy & Boch Majolica Plates, Art Nouveau, 17cm Diameter
Located in Uppsala , SE
Antique Villeroy & Boch Schramberg 4 Majolica plates dating from the early 1900s. Style: It is a piece of Majolica pottery from the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) period, featuring ...
Ceramic
French Sarreguemines Burgos Wash Basin and Pitcher Set, circa 1900
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
A charming French ceramic wash basin and pitcher set produced by the Sarreguemines manufactory, bearing the printed “Burgos U & Cie Sarregue...
Ceramic, Faience
French Art Nouveau Majolica Wall Plate with Female Portrait, circa 1900
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
A beautiful French majolica wall plate from the Art Nouveau period, made around 1900. At its centre is the graceful profile of a young woman with flowing auburn hair and a deep blue ...
Ceramic
French Majolica Wild Rose Pitcher Fives Lille, circa 1900
By Fives-Lille
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica wild rose pitcher fives Lille, circa 1900.
Ceramic
French Majolica Parrots & Bamboo Plate Salins, circa 1890
By Salins
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica Parrots & Bamboo Plate Salins, circa 1890.
Ceramic, Majolica
Art Nouveau Majolica Barboutine Two Plates Birds Swallow Early 20th Century
Located in Uppsala , SE
A charming set of two majolica plates featuring two swallow birds in flight on each plate. The glaze palette is a soft, pale blue with warm brown trim—an airy, pastoral colorway tha...
Ceramic
Set of Six Antique Hand-Painted Majolica Asparagus Plates, Circa 1900
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
A charming set of six earthenware hand-painted square asparagus plates, with a pair of Majolica glazed asparagus tips at each of the four corners. In between, sprays of polychrome fl...
Majolica, Porcelain, Ceramic, Paint
German Jugendstil Earthenware Centerpiece, circa 1905
Located in Valencia, VC
A beautiful German Jugendstil earthenware centerpiece or serving dish dating from the early 20th century, circa 1905–1915. The dish features an elegant scalloped outline resting on t...
Ceramic, Clay, Earthenware, Majolica
Beautiful majolica plate with a turtle, follower of Palissy, 20th century
By Bernard Palissy
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful majolica plate with a turtle, follower of Palissy, 20th century
Ceramic
Art Nouveau Ceramic Wash Bowl and Pitcher Set, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning Art Nouveau wash bowl and pitcher set. Striking Belgium design from the 1900s. Marked with makers stamp. In good original condition w...
Ceramic
Glazed Art Nouveau Centerpiece Planter Jardinière, 1930s
Located in Verviers, BE
Brilliant handmade hand glazed Art Nouveau planter jardinière, 1930s Wonderful Art Nouveau period/ monumental ceramic planter jardinière, handmade and hand-glazed in brilliant blue ...
Majolica
Majolica Parakeets Plate Salins, circa 1890
By Salins
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica plate two parakeets on a blue background with oranges signed Salins, circa 1890.
Ceramic, Majolica
Art Nouveau Large Majolica Vase, Whit Sarreguemines Stamp
Located in Verviers, BE
Art Nouveau Majolica glazed large Vase Whit Sarreguemines stamp. Majolica is a type of earthenware, decorated with colored lead glazes. The base retains a factory stamp. Looks si...
Majolica
Sandstone Sculpture by Jens Jacob Bregnø Female Venus Figure, Illums, 1930s
By Illums Bolighus, Jens Jacob Bregnö
Located in Odense, DK
Large beautiful figurative sculpture by Danish artist Jens Jacob Bregnø in jugend style. The sculpture is made of raw sandstone and is signed by the ...
Sandstone
Art Nouveau Wasmuel Oyster Plate, Belgium, C. 1890's
Located in Ross, CA
Antique oyster plate made in Belgium by Wasmuel in the late 19th century. Made int eh Art Nouveau style, the plate has six wells for oysters and one larger well for crackers, lemons ...
Ceramic
Majolica Water Lily Pad Plate Villeroy et Boch, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica Water Lily Pad or water lilies Plate signed Villeroy et Boch, circa 1900. 7.7 inches diameter.
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Column with Ceramic Vase
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
We present this splendid column vase, made in Italy, dating back to the early 20th century. The vase is crafted from polychrome glazed ceramic. The eye-catching decoration captures t...
Ceramic
Antique majolica Rörstrand, leaf shaped barrel with insect
Located in Uppsala , SE
Rare antique item from Rörstrand majolica The Rörstrand company has produced ceramics for nearly 300 years and is one of Sweden’s oldest industries...
Ceramic
Art Nouveau Studio Pottery Vase, Terracotta with Splash Glaze, 20th Century
Located in Chatham, ON
Art Nouveau studio pottery vase - wheel thrown terracotta - clear green glaze with blue opalescent splash - unsigned - country of origin unknown - early 20th century. Excellent vi...
Terracotta
Striking Art Nouveau Ceramic and Bronze-Mounted Vase in Victor Horta Style
By Victor Horta
Located in Lisse, NL
Top condition and pure elegance Art Nouveau vase. For the collectors of museum quality and condition Art Nouveau ceramics. This stunning Art Nouveau vase is decorated with the mos...
Bronze
Six Majolica Plates with Fruit Decor, Sarreguemines, France, Early 20th Century
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Six Early 20th century majolica plates with fruit decor, Earthenware. Differend fruit decorations, colourful painted. Underglaze mark. Small cracks in the ...
Ceramic, Majolica
Set for two butter box dish & two plates, fish, Art Nouveau ceramic 1910 Austria
Located in Wien, AT
Wonderful two-person set, consisting of a butter dish and two plates. The set is made of ceramic, glazed and hand painted, of the Art Nouveau period, made around 1910, in Austria. ...
Ceramic
"Grenades" majolica plate, Longchamp, late 19th century
Located in New York, NY
"Grenades" majolica plate, Longchamp, late 19th century
Ceramic
"Snake" plate by Polakowski in the taste of Bernard Palissy, 1899
By Bernard Palissy
Located in New York, NY
Majolica plate with a snake made by Polakowski in the taste of Palissy Signed and dated 1899 on the back
Ceramic
Daisy Makeig-Jones Wedgwood Ruby Lustre Butterfly Box
By Wedgwood, Daisy Makeig-Jones, Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A ruby lustre box with mother-of-pearl lustre interior and decorated with polychrome butterflies in gold, designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones circa 1920. This ...
Ceramic, Luster, Porcelain
Set of 6 Majolica Oyster Plates – 19th Century – Green and Brown Glazes
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Set of 6 Majolica Oyster Plates – 19th Century – Green and Brown Glazes Description: This is a beautiful set of six oyster plates made in France during the 20th century, in majolica...
Ceramic
RB Blanche Ceramic Service - Fish
Located in Lugo, IT
RB Blanche ceramic dinnerware Small defects on the edges Good condition. Thank you
Ceramic
Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat (1844-1910) Art Nouveau Red Flammé Vase, c.1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat (1844–1910) Art Nouveau Flammé Stoneware Vase in Sang de Bœuf Red, circa 1900 A fine Art Nouveau flammé stoneware vase designed and executed by celebrated mas...
Stoneware
Small German Majolica Tulip Plate Circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Small German Majolica Tulip Plate Circa 1900. Diameter / 6 inches.
Ceramic
Bretby Art Nouveau High Fired Flambe Glazed Vase by Henry Tooth
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A rare Bretby Art Nouveau high fired ‘flambe’ glazed art pottery vase by Henry Tooth & Co and dating from 1900-1910. This exquisite simple shaped bulbous vase stands on a narrow roun...
Ceramic
Antique Art Nouveau Majolica Plate by Sarreguemines, France, 1920s
Located in Uppsala , SE
Sarreguemines pottery is a faience pottery that was made in the town of Sarreguemines, France, from the 18th century to the early 20th century. The pottery was known for its brightly...
Faience
“Pears” majolica plate, Longchamp, late 19th century
Located in New York, NY
“Pears” majolica plate, Longchamp, late 19th century
Ceramic
French Maritime Landscape Dinner Service Creil&Montereau hand painted circa 1889
Located in Paris, FR
A table set for 12 or 18 people, "Marine," signed by Ludovic Napoléon Lepic, was crafted in earthenware by the prestigious Creil and Montereau manufactory in 1889. This unique set fe...
Ceramic, Faience
Majolica Parakeets Plate Salins, circa 1890
By Salins
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica plate two parakeets on a blue background with oranges signed Salins, circa 1890.
Ceramic, Majolica
Daisy Makeig-Jones Fairyland Wedgwood Lustre Vase
By Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre, Wedgwood, Daisy Makeig-Jones
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A Wedgwood Fairyland lustre vase designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones ca. 1920 and decorated with the 'Castle on a Road' pattern. Daisy Makeig-Jones is best known for the Fairyland Lustre...
Ceramic, Luster, Porcelain
Art Nouveau Four Majolica Villeroy Boch Germany Early 20th Century
Located in Uppsala , SE
Antique Villeroy & Boch Schramberg 4 Majolica plates dating from the early 1900s. Style: It is a piece of Majolica pottery from the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) period, featuring ...
Ceramic
German Majolica Plate with Morning Glory, circa 1900
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Early 20th century German majolica plate with morning glory on a blue basket weave and a brown border, circa 1900. Small cracks in the glazing, glazing craquelure, chip at the backsi...
Ceramic, Majolica
Set of 4 French Green Majolica Plates – Sarreguemines Manufacture – 20th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Set of 4 French Green Majolica Plates – Sarreguemines Manufacture – 20th Century Description: This is a set of four majolica plates, crafted in France during the 20th century by the...
Ceramic
Large Vase Richard Ginori Art Nouveau 1910 Italy Poppies
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Large vase Richard Ginori Art Nouveau 1910 Italy Poppies.
Ceramic
Italian Art Nouveau Decorative Wall Plate, Stile Floreale
Located in Sharon, CT
Beautiful and dramatic, a unique hand painted plate, depicting a plumed bird on a branch in Stile Floreale ( Art Nouveau ). Signed.
Ceramic
Early 20C American Dedham Style Sang de Boeuf Pottery & Gilt Bronze Table Lamp
By Chelsea Keramic Art Works
Located in Dallas, TX
PRESENTING a GORGEOUS AND EXTREMELY RARE Lamp of small to medium proportions. In the shape of a Lidded Chinese Ginger Jar/Urn, heavily influenced by Chinese design with gilt bronze mounts and base in the Chinese style. CLASSIC Oxblood or ‘Sange de Boeuf’ Pottery. Very nice table lamp. IMPRESSIVE and VERY DECORATIVE ! From circa 1920 and we believe American made, probably by the Hugh C..Robertson for Dedham Pottery...
Bronze, Ormolu
Antique Barbotine Majolica Ceramic Plate - France - Late 19th Century
By Barbotine
Located in Chatham, ON
Antique Barbotine majolica ceramic plate - medium size with crescent edge - hand painting featured over raised decoration of birds and flora - unsigned - France - late 19th century. ...
Ceramic
Majolica Gray Butterfly Plate Josef Steidl Znaim, circa 1890
By Josef Steidl Znaim
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica butterfly plate Josef Steidl Znaim, circa 1890.
Ceramic
Set of 2 French Green Majolica Plates – Sarreguemines Manufacture – 20th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Set of 2 French Green Majolica Plates – Sarreguemines Manufacture – 20th Century Description: This is a set of four majolica plates, crafted in France during the 20th century by the ...
Ceramic
Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat (1844-1910) Rare Art Nouveau Ceramic Inkwell, c.1900
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat (1844–1910) French Art Nouveau Flambé Stoneware Inkwell with Lid, circa 1900 An exquisite and rare late 19th-century / early 20th-century French Art Nouveau ...
Stoneware
Art Nouveau Double Gourd Ceramic Vase - Iridescent Glaze - Belgium - 20th C.
Located in Chatham, ON
Art Nouveau double gourd studio pottery vase - featuring multi-color splashed glazes with an iridescent finish - all on a cream ceramic ground - wheel thrown - unsigned - inscribed C...
Ceramic
French Majolica Wild Rose Platter, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Charming Art Nouveau Majolica handled platter with two pink wild roses inspired by Delphin Massier, circa 1900.
Majolica, Ceramic
Majolica Parakeets Plate Salins, circa 1890
By Salins
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica plate two parakeets on a blue background with oranges Salins, circa 1890.
Ceramic, Majolica
Set of 7 Miniature Wedgwood Lustre Bowls by Daisy Makeig-Jones
By Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre, Wedgwood, Daisy Makeig-Jones
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A set of 7 miniature blue and orange lustre bowl designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones for Wedgwood ca. 1920 and decorated with the 'Hummingbirds' pattern. Daisy Makeig-Jones’s lustreware ...
Ceramic, Luster, Porcelain
Early 1900 by Christopher Dresser SCI Laveno Secessionist Ceramic Cachepot Vase
By S.C.I. Laveno, Christopher Dresser
Located in Brescia, IT
Purple ceramic cachepot Perfect condiction.
Pottery
Antique Majolica Melon on Leaf Dish in the Style of Sarreguemines
Located in Centennial, CO
A gorgeous antique art nouveau 1920s or 1930s lidded melon dish which is attached to a leaf plate. The craftsmanship of this piece is outstanding though it does not bear maker's mark...
Ceramic
Majolica Iris Basket Sarreguemines, circa 1920
Located in Austin, TX
Large Majolica basket with iris flowers signed Sarreguemines, circa 1920.
Ceramic, Faience
Mid-Century Ruscha Art Vase
By Ruscha
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
Beautiful art pottery and unusual piece by Ruscha with a strong art nouveau influence in its shape and decoration. It is glazed in a dark brown with variegated purple and light grey ...
Ceramic
Art Nouveau Majolica Set Floral Design Villeroy Boch Germany
Located in Uppsala , SE
3 antique German Art Nouveau majolica plates manufactured by Villeroy & Boch. Crafted at the company's Schramberg majolica factory, this specific pattern dates from between 1883 ...
Majolica
Vienna Art Ceramics Art Nouveau Bowl 'Goose Dance' by Michael Mörtl ca 1910
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Nouveau ceramic centerpiece, twelve geese designed in a circle to form a bowl. White earthenware painted in color and glazed. Designed by Michael MÖRTL (1878 - 1939) around 190...
Ceramic
Plateelbakkerij, Gouda Art Nouveau Ceramic Ewer, Zuid-Holland, Circa 1925
By Gouda Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland
Located in Chatham, ON
Plateelbakkerij- Antique Gouda Art Nouveau ceramic ewer - large size - matte finish glaze with hand painted leaf pattern and triple line borders - re...
Ceramic
Set of Four Hand-Painted Art Nouveau Majolica Plates, Germany
Located in Uppsala , SE
It's made of majolica, a type of tin-glazed earthenware, and exhibits characteristics of the Art Nouveau style. The plates have a distinctive reticulated edge and a hand-painted cen...
Ceramic
Liberty Butterfly Vase in Pink White Green Majolica Ceramic
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gorgeous Italian butterfly glazed ceramic vase from the Liberty period in pastel colors. Italy, circa 1920s-1930s. This highly decorative ceramic vase is in excellent condition. Mera...
Pottery, Ceramic
Large Art Nouveau Ceramic Glazed Pot by Christopher Dressner
Located in Westport, CT
Wonderful Art Nouveau iron stone ceramic glaze designed by Christopher Dressner for S.C.I. Laveno, stamped, circa 1890-1900. Note rare coloring.