Characteristic of the Art Nouveau movement which begins in Belgium and France during the 1880s, the facade of the Hotel Solvay is fluid, plastic, and free of ornamentation. The bay fronts open to wide expanses of glass. The slender supporting iron mullions contrast with the curves of the building.
Maison du Peuple is a masterpiece of the Art Nouveau. The facade flows along the contours of the irregular site in a continuous curving movement. Here Horta's design is based on the brittle planarity of iron and glass. The building is carefully balanced through color and the network of curves within the facade.
Weight and mass are emphasized in this Art Nouveau dining room. Typically the decoration and furniture have a unified appearance.
Interior details reflect the spirit of the whole design. In this balustrade Horta transforms a plant motif into a complex pattern of sinuous curves.
This gateway juxtaposes arches and pillars, stone and iron. The wrought iron tracery consists of intersecting curves and counter-curves.
The smooth wall planes are accentuated by the whitewash and the rhythmic placement of small windows.
The austerity of the interior, also painted white, is modulated by curvilinear patterns in juxtaposition with long straight lines. The chair and doors are designed to form a decorative unity with the architecture.
Designed by Hector Guimard, a key artist in the Art Nouveau movement, this asymmetrical couch appears to move as an organic force. The carved cherrywood and tooled leather are meticulously worked into a unified whole.
The center of this sofa is split and decorated with a soft floral pattern. Made for the Paris Exposition of 1900, its gilt hardwood frame is upholstered with dove gray velvet.
Gaud’'s personal Art Nouveau style emphasizes convex lines. This bench has Queen Anne legs. The carved back is punctured with organic forms. The bench was especially designed for the Casa Calvet.
Four graceful curving stems support the Art Nouveau music stand. The organic form with its soft appearance is made of yellow bird's-eye maple.
This white-enameled cabinet is by Charles Mackintosh, the Art Nouveau architect and designer. Decorating the inside of the gray doors are figures holding purple blossoms made of glass. The shelves are highlighted with ornamental abstractions.
The famous Tiffany lamp is made of colored glass and bronze. In this example where the design imitates nature, the lamp sprouts from a patch of foliage at the base, grows through the slender bronze stem and blossoms into hanging flowers on the glass shade.