Art Nouveau and Graphic Design.

Art Nouveau and how Graphic Design is related with it:

                Between the 1890 and 1905, the world witnessed the popularity of a new artistic movement called Art Nouveau. It was a style which descended from the Arts and Crafts Movement and managed to combine art and design into the everyday life. As the research shows, Art Nouveau was the “first style of commercial art used consistently to enhance the beauty of industrial products” and its main influences were mainly seen in art and architecture such as applied arts, graphic work, and illustration.

                For the purpose of this research, specific attention is going to be given to the influence that Art Nouveau had on graphic design. According to Flask, book production and poster printing were the most influenced sections in the graphic design section as their typography was highly ornate so that these productions were mostly left for display work. Nonetheless, artists continued to include this style in other works such as advertisements, magazines, labels and typography. However the artists did not limit themselves to use only paper as their medium to convey their message but also used glassware, jewellery, textiles, household silver, domestic utensils, cigarette cases, and furniture and lighting. Moreover, some of the artists also managed to be influenced by this style to design theatrical sets and costumes.  

         Numerous graphic artists were influenced by the Art Nouveau but two of the most important artists were Jules Cheret and Alphonse Mucha. Jules Cheret was mainly trained as a lithographer when he travelled to England and after his return back to France, he created several posters for the Parisian famous cabarets and theatres. One must also note that his designs were greatly influenced by the artists of the Rococo period. Cheret’s designs continued to gain popularity and so did his advertisement business as various clients required his productions in relation to liquors, perfumes, soaps, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products and railroad companies amongst others. Alphonse Mucha created one of his masterpieces in 1895 for the French actress Sarah Bernhardt as he designed a poster for an overnight sensational theatrical play, Gismonda. After this success, Mucha signed a six year contract with Bernhardt in order to design posters, sets, and costumes for her plays. Mucha was considered as an Art Nouveau artist because of the various rich curves that were visible in his art which were inspired by natural forms, vibrant colours, and complicated ornaments.

Visual-arts-cork.com, (2014). Art Nouveau Design: Characteristics, History, Artists. [online] Available at: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm [Accessed 12 Oct. 2014].

Metmuseum.org, (2014). Art Nouveau | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [online] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm [Accessed 12 Oct. 2014].

Guity-novin.blogspot.com, (2014). A History of Graphic Design: Chapter 25 - Pioneers of the Art Nouveau, Chromolithography and the emergence of the modern poster and cigar box labels. [online] Available at: http://guity-novin.blogspot.com/2010/05/history-of-graphic-design-birth-of-art.html#Five [Accessed 12 Oct. 2014].