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.
19th Century Antique Gilt Wood Oval Frame, European Design, 8x6.5"
Located in Worcester Park, GB
This antique oval frame is a beautifully understated showcase of classic European design. Crafted in richly toned gilt wood, it features a warm, aged patina that highlights its subtl...
Giltwood
French Majolica Pink Daisy Plate Orchies, circa 1890
By Orchies
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica pink daisy plate Orchies, circa 1890.
Ceramic
Rare Majolica Butterfly Wall Pocket Clement Massier, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Rare Majolica butterfly wall pocket signed Clement Massier, Golfe Juan Circa 1900. H / 7 inches. W / 9 inches.
Ceramic, Faience
Josef Hoffmann Coat Hook for the Wiener Werkstaette, Re-Edition
By Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Sensational design from the very puristic period of Josef Hoffmann and the Wiener Werkstaette. Literature: Waltraud Neuwirth, Wiener Werkstaette - Avantgarde Art Deco, Industrial Des...
Brass
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
Majolica Water Lily Asparagus Plate Keller & Guerin Saint Clement
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica Art Nouveau asparagus plate unsigned Keller et Guerin Saint Clement Every important French manufactures produced at the end of the 19th century asparagus and artichoke sets...
Ceramic, Majolica
Art Nouveau Flower Tiles designed by Carreaux Faience de Florennes, Belgium
By Faience Manufacturing Company
Located in Antwerp, BE
Beautiful set of 30 tiles designed in the Art nouveau period by Carreaux Faience de Florennes, 1900, very rare relief art nouveau flower tiles in the colors yellow, brown, blue and ...
Ceramic, Clay
French Majolica White Daisy Plate Orchies, circa 1890
By Orchies
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica white daisy plate Orchies, circa 1890.
Ceramic
Antique Danish 1920s coal drawing of landscape by H P Carlsen (1855-1950)
Located in Ebberup, DK
This is an original coal drawing by Danish artist H. P. Carlsen from 1922. Hans Peter Carlsen (1855-1950) was a painter from Funen who attended the Royal Academy of Fine arts with f...
Paper
Austrian Art Nouveau Relief Porcelain Wall Charger, c. 1905
Located in New Orleans, LA
A stunning antique Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) polychrome porcelain bas-relief wall charger created by the Ernst Wahliss manufactory in Vienna, Austria, in 1905, featuring a classical f...
Porcelain
Jugendstil panel "Pallas Athena" Georg Klimt ca. 1900
By Georg Klimt
Located in Klosterneuburg, AT
Jugendstil panel “Pallas Athena”, Georg Klimt (1867 – 1931), ca. 1900 Powerful yet characterized by delicate lines, this copper relief by Georg Klimt (c. 1900) depicts Pallas Athena...
Copper
French Moderne Aubusson Tapestry - The Young Woman after Alfons Mucha -N 1623
By Aubusson Manufacture, Alphonse Mucha
Located in Paris, FR
No. 1623 – Aubusson tapestry, circa 1960 – The Young Woman after Alfons Mucha – 146 W × 113 H cm Artist / Manufacturer: Aubusson Manufacture, after Alfons Mucha Period: Circa 1960 S...
Wool
Art Nouveau Poster "La Fille aux Fleurs de Printemps", Framed, Limited Edition
Located in Darmstadt, DE
This limited-edition Art Nouveau poster, titled “La Fille aux Fleurs de Printemps”, is a modern homage to the elegance and floral romanticism of the fin-de-siècle period. Inspired b...
Pine, Paper
Rare Domed Wiener Werkstaette Vienna Art Nouveau Enameled Advertising Sign
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare, domed, black and white enameled Art Nouveau advertising sign for Wiener Werkstätte, founded by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Fritz ...
Metal, Enamel, Iron
Josef Hoffmann Wiener Werkstätte Vienna Art Nouveau Enamel Advertising Sign
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare, domed, black, white & blue enameled Art Nouveau advertising plate. Designed by Josef Hoffmann in 1905 for Wiener Werkstatte (founded by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Frit...
Metal, Enamel, Iron
Jules Cheret 1891 Art Nouveau Poster Le Courrier Français
By Jules Chéret
Located in Dallas, TX
Jules Chéret Le Courrier Français, 1891 Lithograph in colors on wove paper laid on linen Dimensions: 48 x 33.5 inches (121.9 x 85.1 cm) Signed in the stone lower left: Chéret Pub...
Paper
Art Nouveau Black Lacquer Fire Screen with Hand‑Painted Floral Motif, France
Located in Meulebeke, BE
An elegant Art Nouveau fire screen from France, dating to around 1910, featuring a black lacquered panel with a hand‑painted floral motif in soft pink and green tones. The design cap...
Cast Iron
Art Nouveau Oak Apothecary Wall Cabinet, Germany circa 1900
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Charming Art Nouveau oak wall cabinet from Germany around 1900. This small apothecary style cabinet features a finely crafted solid oak corpus with a warm, natural patina and a frame...
Oak, Spruce
Pair Art Nouveau Bronze Relief Wall Plaques
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of fine Art Nouveau / Jugendstyl gilt bronze relief wall plaques, with wonderful details, mounted in walnut frames. The reliefs depict Diana, ...
Bronze
Finnish Art Nouveau Wall Cabinet in Quartersawn Oak & Brass, Early 20th Century
Located in Helsinki, FI
A small Finnish Art Nouveau side / wall cabinet in gorgeous quartersawn oak wood and brass details. The cabinet has legs so it can be placed on the...
Brass
Pair of brown Lacquer on Wood Panels Art Nouveau Floral Japanese Style .
Located in Miami, FL
Two Lacquer panels on wood Japanese inspiration soft colors , floral theme. Style Art Nouveau// Art Deco. French origine. Could fit perfectly above a pair of Art Deco or art Nouveau ...
Wood
French Art Nouveau Bentwood Coat & Hat Hooks, a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A pair of French Art Nouveau period bentwood hat and coat pegs, circa 1910 – 1920. The wall mounted Beechwood hooks have turned upper pegs for holding a hat, with a u-shaped peg f...
Beech
French Majolica Roses Plate Saint Amand, circa 1890
By Saint Amand
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica roses plate signed Saint Amand, circa 1890.
Ceramic, Majolica
Vintage Carved Hardwood Sterling Silver Overlaid Cane Walking Stick
Located in Shippensburg, PA
CARVED HARDWOOD CANE WITH STERLING SILVER OVERLAID HANDLE In the Art Nouveau taste, circa 20th century 34 1/2" H x 4 1/8" W (handle) A finely carved hardwood cane, the tapering sha...
Sterling Silver
Josef Hoffmann Wiener Werkstätte Vienna Art Nouveau Enamel Advertising Sign
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare, domed, black, white and red enameled Art Nouveau advertising plate designed by Josef Hoffmann in 1905 for Wiener Werkstätte. The Wiener Werkstätte, founded by Josef Hoffmann,...
Metal, Enamel, Iron
Antique Painting "Skiers in Garmisch, Alpspitze, Adalbert Wex" - Early 20th Century
Located in Vo', Veneto
Skiers in Garmisch, Alpspitze - Adalbert von Wex Period: Early 1900s Provenance: Munich, Bavaria Artist: Adalbert von Wex Technique: Oil on canvas Painting size: 64 cm x 100 cm (25....
Canvas
Josef Hoffmann Jugendstil Wiener Werkstaette Art Nouveau Coat Hook, Re-Edition
By Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in Vienna, AT
Very elegant handmade coat-hook. Literature: Waltraud Neuwirth, Wiener Werkstaette – Avant Garde Art Deco, Industrial Design, 1985 Vienna p. 49. Different hooks are available see pic...
Brass
Adrian Karbowsky attributed Belle Epoque Art Nouveau Tapestry
Located in Sharon, CT
Intricately embroidered with 'turn of century' motifs in silk and velvet on golden yellow moire silk.
Silk, Velvet
Large Majolica Oval Handled Purple Flowers Platter Villeroy & Boch
Located in Austin, TX
Large Majolica Handled platter with purple flowers Villeroy & Boch Circa 1900.
Ceramic, Majolica
Mucha, Original Art Nouveau Poster, Biere de la Meuse, Pavot, Orge Houblon, 1897
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Rare Art Nouveau poster in pristine condition created by Alphonse Mucha in 1897 to promote Bières de le Meuse. Artist: Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) Title: Bières de la Meuse Date: 1...
Paper
Antoni Gaudi Original Decorative Ceramic Spanish Tile of Casa Vicens, circa 1940
By Antoni Gaudí
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original ceramic tile by Antoni Gaudi, inspired by the marigold and dianthus motifs on the decorative ceramic tiles he designed for the facade of Casa Vicens, which constitute some o...
Ceramic
Fireplace Doors Fire Screen Guard, Metal Copper Brass, Austria, Jugendstil, 1900
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
An antique and gorgeous pair of fireplace doors manufactured in Austria, circa 1900. The doors are made of a thin metal grid which are decorated with ...
Iron, Metal, Brass
Alphonse Mucha Lithograph Art Nouveau #1 Cocorico French Magazine Cover
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A vintage lithograph of a glamorous woman of the Art Nouveau era from the cover of the first edition of " Cocorico" a high art French magazine published in 1898 for their Dec. 31st i...
Paper
Antique Flemish Tapestry 91cm×122cm Musical 3x4 Decorative Panel Tapestry c.1650
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite 17th-century Flemish tapestry depicts a seated musical figure surrounded by scrolling foliage, floral motifs, and a richly detailed border. The wool and silk weave sti...
Wool, Silk
Pair of Art Nouveau Decorative Panels with Purple and Yellow Irises, Circa 1900
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
Pair of painted decorative panels depicting purple irises on one and yellow irises on the other, within shaped reserves on a cream ground. Canvases laid down, presented in moulded pi...
Canvas, Wood
Mucha, Job, Original Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Poster, Gold, Cigarette Paper 1896
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Original Art Nouveau Vintage Poster dating from 1896 by Alphonse Mucha for Job, Cigarette paper. Artist: Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) Tit...
Paper
Large Majolica Blue Butterfly Wall Pocket circa 1900
By Fives-Lille
Located in Austin, TX
Large French Majolica blue butterfly wall pocket circa 1900.
Ceramic, Faience
French Majolica Roses Plate Saint Amand, circa 1890
By Saint Amand
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica roses plate signed Saint Amand, circa 1890.
Majolica, Ceramic
Antique Royal Vienna MZ Austria Constance Portrait Shadow Box Plate
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Austrian Royal Vienna hand-painted porcelain portrait plate framed in a gilt shadowbox curio display frame. Features a central portrait of a woman named Constance, surrounded...
Porcelain, Glass, Hardwood
Jugendstil Brass Relief with floral motiv brass original patina around 1908
Located in Wien, Au
Jugendstil Brass Relief with floral motiv brass original patina around 1908 Original condition Original patina
Brass
Original Antique Travel Poster Monaco Monte Carlo Alphonse Mucha Art Nouveau
Located in London, GB
Original antique travel poster for Monaco Monte Carlo by the notable Czech illustrator, graphic artist and painter Alphonse Mucha (Alfons Maria Mucha; 186...
Paper
Majolica Shell Dish Keller & Guerin Saint Clement Circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica Shell Dish Keller & Guerin Saint Clement Circa 1900. Decorated with a flower.
Ceramic, Majolica
4 Adolf loos wall hooks brass ( nickel-plated ) around 1908
Located in Wien, Au
4 Adolf loos wall hooks brass ( nickel-plated ) around 1908 Original condition ( only hand polished )
Brass, Nickel
19th Century French Faience Duck Jardiniere Saint Clement
Located in Austin, TX
19th Century French Faience Duck Jardiniere Saint Clement ( Lorraine ) Model created for the universal exhibition of 1878.
Ceramic, Majolica, Faience
Rare Wiener Werkstätte of America Inc New York Enameled Advertising Sign
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare, domed, black and white enameled Art Nouveau advertising sign for Wiener Werkstatte. (founded by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Fritz...
Metal, Enamel, Iron
Spectacular antique wall decoration fish gargoyle, patinated copper, 1900 France
Located in Wien, AT
Stunning huge wall decoration - a fish in the reeds, made of pure copper that has been patinated - an original from the Art Nouveau period, made around 1900 in France. There are many...
Copper
Alphonse Mucha "Reverie" Lithograph
Located in New York, NY
Titled "Reverie" (or "Dream"), this lithograph by Alphonse Mucha is one of his most noted and most desirable printed designs. The original use of the design was as an in-house poster...
Paper
1920 Vintage Art Nouveau Figurative Tapestry 203x292cm European Tapestry 7x10
Located in New York, NY
This vibrant European Art Nouveau tapestry, circa 1920, depicts a festive celebration scene with dancers in richly colored period garments. The composition features expressive figur...
Wool
Mucha, Waverley Cycles, Original Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Vintage Poster, 1898
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Original Art Nouveau Vintage Poster dating from 1898 by Alphonse Mucha. Artist: Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) Title: Waverley Cycles Date: 1898 Size (w x h): 33.9 x 42.9 in / 86 x 109 cm Printer: F. Champenois, 66 Bd St Michel, Paris. Materials and Techniques: Colour lithograph on paper Linen backing: Yes Condition: A (Designates a poster in very good condition. The colours are fresh and there are no or very few paper losses. If there are imperfections they are marginal and imperceptible). Additional Details: « Harry Reynaud, Directeur Général pour la France...
Paper
French Majolica Pink Daisy Plate Orchies, circa 1890
By Orchies
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica pink daisy plate Orchies, circa 1890.
Ceramic
Earthenware - Three Art Nouveau tiles
Located in Porto, PT
Earthenware - Three Art Nouveau tiles. Made of polychrome and embossed ceramic in the 'Art Nouveau' style. Decorated with floral motifs. Framed. Dimensions: (largest) 15x15 cm.
Ceramic
Original Antique Poster Times Of The Day Eclat Du Jour Brightness Of Day Mucha
Located in London, GB
Original antique poster - Eclat Du Jour / Brightness of Day - by the notable Czech illustrator, graphic artist and painter Alphonse Mucha (Alfons Maria Mucha; 1860-1939) from his ser...
Paper
Pair of Art Nouveau Cast Iron, Gilded Shelf Brackets
Located in Toronto, CA
This is an exquisite pair of large Art Nouveau, cast iron, gilded shelf brackets from the early part of the twentieth century, most probably French, 1910 to 1919. These fabulous she...
Iron
Original Vintage Print by Harry Clarke From Poe's "Mystery And Imagination" 1935
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful image by Harry Clarke Originally an illustration from " Tales of Mystery And Imagination " By Edgar Allan Poe. Lithograph. Tipped in plate on paper. Published by Tudor P...
Paper
Secessionist Pair of panels "Demeter" Georg Klimt ca. 1900 Art Nouveau
By Georg Klimt
Located in Klosterneuburg, AT
In the art world, the name “Klimt” is inextricably linked with the period around 1900, Viennese Jugendstil and the Vienna Secession. Today, Gustav Klimt is considered one of the most...
Copper
Art Nouveau Alphonse Mucha Original JOB Poster, 1898
Located in North Bergen, NJ
Alphonse Mucha 1898 JOB poster. Excellent condition with beautiful frame under plexiglass ready to hang. Poster for 'Job' cigarette paper (1898) 'JOB' is a ...
Paper
Set Of Two Secession Brass Curtain Holder 1890s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Set of Two Secession Brass Curtain Holder Austria 1890s
Brass
19th Century Majolica Flowers & Butterfly Plate Wasmuel
Located in Austin, TX
19th Century Majolica flowers and butterfly plate Wasmuel.
Ceramic
Hans Peter Carlsen (1855–1950) – Winter Forest Drawing, 1919
Located in Ebberup, DK
A compelling monochrome drawing by the Danish artist Hans Peter Carlsen (1855–1950), signed and dated 1919. The composition depicts a tranquil winter forest, where slender trees rise...
Paper
French Majolica Pink Daisy Plate Orchies, circa 1890
By Orchies
Located in Austin, TX
French Majolica pink daisy plate Orchies, circa 1890.
Ceramic