Omnia vincit amor

Ilsee, Princess de Tripoli illustration by Alphonse Mucha

It is with a heavy heart that I'm going to be retiring from this blog. I started it on Tumblr way back in 2012 not knowing what it would expand into. It was a great outlet to help me with depression and going to college. I made it my mission to find some of the most beautiful objects and buildings that people made and collect them all in one place. I think I was mostly successful with that mission.

Right now I haven't had the time nor energy to devote to scouring the web for these beautiful things. I think I'm starting to recover from my lifelong depression and am taking a more active approach in my life.

I will always love Art Nouveau I think, and sharing these wonderful works of art and craftsmanship inspired a lot of people. My favorite part of blogging was discovering talented artists of today who had not yet found their audience and promoting them on the blog. 

Right now my interests have changed and I am deeply, deeply interested in the field of natural building. One of my dreams is to build an "earthbag" home in the style of Art Nouveau. I think, to hand sculpt a house would be amazing. Environmentally friendly/alternative buildings (like cob homes, strawbale, hempcrete etc.) are a fantastic opportunity right now since so many people are struggling to afford a traditional home. Earthbag homes are inexpensive, they do not take an expert to make (you can learn how to build), and are very durable.

My life has gone from seeking & surrounding myself with inspiration to wanting to create fantastic stuff in the flesh. There is so much darkness in the world and society at the moment, but people need to realize that that's not all there is, that's just what is being presented. There is so much beauty, wonder and amazing phenomena out there in the world. There are wonderful people, kind deeds being realized every day and so much out there that is worth saving and loving.

I think, as things progress into the future, the world will get more complicated and will do so quickly. With so many things happening it is going to take a lot of adaptation and altering personal mindsets for humans to be successful in the future. The world is going to reach 8 BILLION people soon! We need to wake up to the fact that we are all connected to each other, that this planet needs protecting, and that we are not the only species in the world. We all need each other.

I tend to believe in the best of people. I love seeing the depths of potential (realized by artists and others) and to see wonderful things expressed and come into being.

We can all be a part of making the world a safer, kinder and more beautiful place. There's so many possibilities and opportunities to create and participate in the world you would want to be in.

I know this all might sound hokey but humans have a great capacity to create amazing things. Find those people or objects that give you inspiration and let them saturate your life. Be inspired and try not to give into the darkness or sadness that comes with life sometimes.

I have given ten years of my life to this blog and I am so glad it brought beauty and joy to others from around the world.

I am not anticipating coming back, but if anyone wants to follow me I will be on Pinterest. My new account username is "snowsandsugar".

Feel free to browse the archives of the tumblr and facebook of Art Nouveau Style. There is ten years worth of dedicated curating on there ;-) I have truly loved the comments, the questions and the compliments over the years. 

Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I hope each reader finds a beautiful dream to realize and believe in, and discovers that love is truly a great force and it is up to every one of us to make the world we want to exist in!

❤

-Electra

Yoshitaka Amano

Hello readers! Long time no see!

I've been wondering lately on what topics I should cover but have found one which is pretty cool.

I have been sifting through old pictures I saved on my computer (from over 10 years ago!) and came across some amazing paintings. These are paintings by Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano.

Yoshitaka Amano is best known for his concept artwork/designs for the roleplaying video game 'Final Fantasy', although he has also worked on other notable productions.

Amano was born on March 26, 1952 in Shizuoka, Japan. In his early artistic career (1960's-70's) he worked on animes like 'Speed Racer' and 'Gatchaman' while being influenced by the art of traditional Western-style comic books. As time went on he was hired to design and paint fantasy and science fiction artworks.

During the late 80's to mid 90's Amano was a concept & character designer for the popular Final Fantasy video games (The Final Fantasy series, according to Wikipedia, is one of the best selling video game series of all time). Not only did he work on all of the logos, but he also designed the main characters and enemies for many of the games.

What made Amano's work stand out from other artists of the time was that his style incorporated Art Nouveau and elements of Fantasy art. Amano's lines are delicate, with colors of gold amid muted and soft tones. His female portraits show elaborate jewelry and ornamentation, almost as if they are princesses...and the men resemble knights, with fantastical armor and weaponry. You can tell Amano takes a slight inspiration and nod to Gustav Klimt with the gold accents in his art and a tribute to the Art Nouveau genre with the costumes and outfits he designs.

His personal style was in contrast to the big-eyed cartoon style of the time. Instead of drawing large shiny pupils, the eyes of his subjects come across as demure and soft, some of the figures looking as if they had just woken up from a long sleep.

 In addition to working on video games and animation, Amano also collaborated with famed writer Neil Gaiman on one of his Sandman comic book series. The collaboration earned him several awards and a nomination for the Science Fiction/Fantasy Hugo award.

Amano has produced many art books which collect his designs and paintings. These books span a period of over 20 years of his art and are a window into the brilliant work of a very talented man.

I hope you all will enjoy these pictures, as much as I have re-discovering them!

All images are (c) to Yoshitaka Amano/Respectful owners

Enchanted Living: Art Nouveau issue

Several months ago I happened to learn that Enchanted Living Magazine (formerly Faerie Magazine) was in the process of making an Art Nouveau issue for Summer. I knew of the magazine since I was a teenager and I was intrigued to see the magazine's take on the subject of Art Nouveau. I have to say, after receiving it in the mail, that it is a lovely piece that features some of the most talented AN artists of today and covers topics relating to that era.

Inside this summer issue are multiple articles coupled with lovely and gorgeous photographs, capturing the true essence of Art Nouveau. It feels almost like you are looking at a real life Mucha painting on the pages and the breadth of talent is remarkable. I especially loved the showcases on fashion and jewelry design - not to mention the traditional art and photographs as well.

Among the artists/companies I recognized were: Kelly Morgen, Yoann Lossel, Matt Hughes, Stephanie Young and Firefly Path. I feel a sense of happiness in knowing that I reblogged some of their creations way back a few years ago on Tumblr. I'm so happy to see them gain some extra recognition for their abilities. Truly talented people! (and if you want to see my interview with Kelly Morgen, click here!)

I was also pleased to see the issue discuss novel ideas like Solarpunk and the inspirations of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Overall it was an excellent issue and was a treat to see in the mail. It felt like my birthday present had arrived early! Everything was so beautiful, professional and well put together. I highly recommend ordering this issue if you love Art Nouveau.

You can order the issue here if you like.

Frederick Marriott and Pickford Marriott

Recently, I discovered the artworks of two British artists who worked together in the 1800-1900's. I found them through a website http://www.muzeumsecesji.pl and have been captivated by them.

The artists are the brothers, Frederick Marriott (b. 1860 - d. 1941) and Frank Pickford Marriott (b. 1876 - d. 1935). I have learned they are often confused with one another. Pickford (Frank) lived in South Africa and his art can be found at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum in Port Elizabeth. As children, they were born in Britain and lived in Australia. Pickford moved back to England and at the age of nineteen went to college and studied art. He became a teacher of art in England but lived in South Africa (and taught) for awhile. His brother, Frederick (Peter) Marriott is listed as having been a sculptor and engraver. At the age of fourteen, Frederick studied pottery and was granted a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Art in 1879. Frederick also painted (and etched) traditional landscapes.

The two brothers collaborated together in a similar style when it came to art. Among their most impressive pieces are those that are made with genuine mother-of-pearl. They worked in gesso as well and combined the two to make stunning Pre-Raphaelite/Art Nouveau themed portraits. The older brother, Frederick, explained his methods in an article called, "Unpublished Notes on Gesso by Frederick Marriott". The process they used involved boiling shells in different colors to get certain hues. Then the shells were polished to reflect the saturation of the colors. The shell pieces were shaped, cut and affixed to tracing paper to see how to position the pieces and how the light would fall on them. Then raised gesso would be added and the gesso covered in gold leaf or platinum leaf.

To perfect these paintings, the process was extremely labor intensive.  Much emphasis was added into the details.

"The Annunciation" by Pickford Marriott (possibly both brothers), gesso and mother-of-pearl on panel. From the auction site Bonhams.

"The Faithful Knight in Equal Field subdues his Faithless Foe" circa early 1900's, by Frederick Marriott.

"The Angel of Night", 1904 by Frederick Marriott.

"St. Cecilia", 1903 by Frederick Marriott. Clearer/larger version here.

Unknown panel found via pinterest.

A very beautiful high resolution painting can be found at the Queensland Art Gallery: "Love in her eyes sits playing" 1902 by Pickford Marriott.

The brothers' works remind me of the symbolist painter, John Duncan. There's a 'King Arthur' mythology look to their styles with a good amount of Pre-Raphaelite themes.

Tristan and Isolde, 1912 by John Duncan.

Overall, the brothers have a very beautiful way of capturing light using a natural material like mother-of-pearl. I have not really seen artwork with such an unusual medium and am happy to have stumbled upon them. They really knew how to work with textures and patterns in unique materials as well.

References:
British Paintings
Mapping the Sculpture Project
Bonhams
ThePotteries

Solarpunk & Art Nouveau

A few years ago while browsing the website Tumblr, I discovered a post by user 'missolivialouise' which had a great idea. She had written about the idea for a new literary genre of science fiction. She called it "solarpunk".

What is 'Solarpunk'?

Solarpunk is a relatively new science fiction & art genre that focuses on the environment, sustainability, advanced technology, renewable energy and how societies in the future will adapt to these things. Solarpunk aims to be inclusive of others, diverse and promotes a world and life that is environmentally sustainable (and achievable).

Solarpunk follows in the footsteps of 'Steampunk', 'Cyberpunk' and other sci-fi literary/artistic categories.

What does this have to do with Art Nouveau?

In her original post in 2014 missolivialouise suggested the aesthetics for the newly created genre could be based in Art Nouveau/Edwardian styles. This is a fantastic idea as there is a lot of natural elements and organic themes in Art Nouveau. To see a movement from the 1890's-1900's reinvented with futuristic ideals and technologies, with an emphasis on nature would be amazing. The idea of solarpunk has captured the imagination of many people on Tumblr and beyond. There have been a few publications made (one example here) and many artworks showing what a "Solarpunk" future would look like.

Missolivialouise posted art she created to show what fashion might look like in a future like this:

In her post she said,
"Can you imagine how pretty it would be to have stained glass windows everywhere that are actually solar panels? The tech is already headed in that direction!  Or how about wide-brim hats, or parasols that are topped with discreet solar panel tech incorporated into the design, with ports you can stick your phone charger in to?"

...."A lot of people seem to share a vision of futuristic tech and architecture that looks a lot like an ipod – smooth and geometrical and white. Which imo is a little boring and sterile, which is why I picked out an Art Nouveau aesthetic for this."

I would agree that having a style like Art Nouveau, or Edwardian or even Victorian would be cool to be reinvented in a new way.

As someone who is very fond of (and supports) environmentalism, the creation of a genre like solarpunk struck me in a very sincere way. As of right now the world is going through many, many changes, and a lot of them are very negative for the environment. Changing the course will require a cultural shift and a new way of looking at things. People will ultimately have to change the way they think and live. There is no better time for a genre like solarpunk to pop up than now.

I'd like to imagine the future (and Solarpunk) with people living in beautiful, sustainable houses, growing their own food, using renewable energy and living a life that has a small footstep on the world.

When it comes to architecture and art nouveau, I have always had a personal fantasy to create a sculpted house (from cob, or other materials like adobe) and decorate it in the art nouveau style. I think this would fit into the idea of Solarpunk (and would be easy to customize). Indeed, someone has even tried to replicate art nouveau in sculpted concrete form for a house. And it looks great. Houses made of earthen materials would also be very customizable. You could basically 'sculpt' your own house with enough knowledge.

Fashion would also be a great topic to think about. In 2016 I made a little drawing of what I thought a Solarpunk dress/outfit would look like. Here's my concept idea:

and if you follow the solarpunk hashtag on tumblr, you will see many other concept designs, discussions, artworks and writings about Solarpunk.

I'm all on board for Art Nouveau to be the main style for Solarpunk. I hope others will join the online discussion and make Solarpunk a reality for everyone.

Credits: First three drawings made by missolivialouise. Used with permission.

Varun Bahl: When Art Nouveau meets India

Not too long ago I came across an article on the internet about an Indian fashion designer named Varun Bahl. Bahl had created an Indian fashion collection in 2017 inspired by Art Nouveau. The marriage of a European art movement with the silhouettes and styles of Indian fashion resulted in a beautiful and stunning collection. If you'd like to see the clothing, which debuted at India Couture Week 2017, please watch this video on youtube :)

Here's a news article regarding the designer's inspiration (which happened to be Mucha's paintings), and another one too. Overall a fantastic idea.

Jane Atché

I'd like to introduce readers to a lovely female art nouveau artist named Jane Atché. She was a French poster artist whose style sometimes resembled Alphonse Mucha's. According to biographies of her life, at one time she even mentored under Mucha.

"Job" lithograph before lettering, circa 1896

I first came across this artist at a local museum exhibition on art nouveau. Imagine my surprise to see a female artist among the greats of art nouveau paintings and lithographs! For many years I had thought there weren't many art nouveau women artists at all (mainly because they were never mentioned in the books I read or pictures I saw) but now I know they did in fact exist. And they were just as talented as the male artists of the day.

Jane Atché was born in Toulouse, France around 1872. She excelled in art and at the age of 24 debuted her poster for JOB cigarette papers at the Cirque de Reims (I think she may have been the only woman to create advertisements for JOB at the time as well). Among the other artists in the exhibition were Mucha and Toulouse-Lautrec. From that point on she would exhibit her own engravings, lithographs and paintings at various galleries.

Another version of the JOB lithograph.

In the early 1900's she worked in the field of publishing. She contributed to a journal for little girls called "La Poupée Modèle". Atché's illustrations also wound up on postcards, sheet music and advertisements as well.

"Portrait de femme symboliste"

Cover illustration for Jugend magazine

She signed her paintings by combining the letters "J" and "A" in her name which made for a unique signature.

"Mistletoe and Holly" (above), decorative panels, 1899. Source: Gallica.

Atché mainly focused on producing images with women as the focal point. You can see the influence of Mucha in her works as the lines are often very delicate and yet, defining and strong.

Self-portrait with hat, 1909.

Above three images from this literary collection.

sheet music, found from pinterest.

sheet music illustration

Most of the information I found was through an online translation of this article in French, which really covers a lot! (and if there are any errors in this info - it is because I do not know French, sadly)

Atché passed away in 1937 in Paris, France, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful and feminine artworks which are now being rediscovered. There are still local museums that carry her work in France and a quick online search will uncover which ones do. :) Overall I am so happy that Atché pursued art and made a successful career back then. In general, we do not hear about women artists in Art Nouveau. It is refreshing and amazing when we do.

Thanksgiving artworks

Hope you're all having a lovely day and for those in the United States, a very great Thanksgiving holiday! Why not post some artworks that are in the art nouveau style that celebrate the holiday? ;)

Thanksgiving Art Nouveau images:

Cover for Harper's Bazar (Harper's Bazaar), 1894 by Louis Rhead.

 

 

 

Cover for Harper's Bazar by Charles Louis Hinton, 1896.

Cover for Puck Magazine, 1905 by Carl Hassman.

Turkey statue at the art nouveau "Turkey Cafe" in Leicester, England. Photo via wikicommons.

Advertisement for Chap Book literary magazine by Will H. Bradley, 1895.

A beautiful turkey design, author unknown.

Harper's Bazar cover, 1889, possibly by Eugène Grasset (but am not 100% sure)

Cover for Life magazine, 1900.

Harper’s Bazar illustration by Will H. Bradley, 1895.

Vintage Thanksgiving card

That's about all the images I could find for now...have a great holiday!

How to Decorate with the Art Nouveau Style

One of the things that has made me curious over the years is, "How do you decorate your living space in the art nouveau style?" And, "How do you do it if you can't afford the real thing?"

An original art nouveau interior in Sweden, 1905.

Not much reproduction art nouveau furniture has been made over the past few years, if any really. This I think is due to either cost and/or demand. Even though Mucha's art and lithographs of the art nouveau style are entering the public's awareness more and more, and people are becoming aware of the style, the mass "demand" for art nouveau style furniture just hasn't happened yet.

In my opinion, a lot of people still don't know what Art Nouveau is completely in its entirety but there has been a change in how many people are educated about it. More people than ever, I've noticed, are informed about the art nouveau style which is awesome. I think that with products at bookstores and the introduction of popular characters in the art nouveau style (like on t-shirts), more people have become exposed to the style.

What reproductions of the AN style there are though, are very limited. There are reproduction Tiffany lamps (from lillies to stained glass shades) which are not too hard to find, and reproduction mirrors, trinket boxes and photo frames also exist as well. If you search you can find Mackintosh style reproduction items but outside of those few things it can be very, very hard to find AN style pieces.

What you can do, outside of owning the real thing, is use Art Nouveau as decorating inspiration with the colors, patterns and art typical of that time period.

Note the themes of birds, flowers, a repeating border pattern on the wall, wood elements and the muted colors. (Image by O.Taris at wikicommons)

My personal advice is to pick some of your favorite Art Nouveau artworks and see what you like about them. Is is the colors, the curves, the plants? What stands out? And let that inspire and guide you.


Colors

When it comes to the Art Nouveau style there wasn't a lot of extremely bright or vivid/neon colors. Colors tended to be earthy, muted and usually in pale shades.

Take for instance, this art nouveau picture. If you pull the colors from it you will see the "earthy" colors:

There are purples and blues but they usually have gray mixed in with them. Not all artworks use colors like these, such as artist Leonetto Cappiello's, but quite a few do. Golden yellows, leafy greens, browns and rosey shades of pink all remind me of Art Nouveau. Pulling colors from AN artworks you like is a good first step in my opinion to getting the look you want. It doesn't mean you necessarily have to paint all of your walls harvest gold, but you can use those colors for accessories, household items or even create your own color palettes.

Wall Art

The next best thing, especially if you're on a budget, is to cover your walls in pretty art. Art prints aren't too expensive and you can frame them or hang them on your walls. You can print out your favorite pieces yourself or buy them online at art websites. Since original artworks of art nouveau from the 1890's-1910's are usually public domain, you can print them at your local print shop in any size you like. Hanging up prints is a good option, if you can't paint the walls or if you are trying to save. Plus prints can be admired by visitors and are good conversation starters.

Pattern by Rene Beauclair

Pattern by Rene Beauclair

A clipart picture from a Dover book on Art Nouveau design.
You can use images like these as a repeating stencil design.

Patterns

Another option you have is to check out Art Nouveau patterns. No doubt a lot of AN style comes from intricate patterns, whiplash curves and winding botanicals. If you want to get crafty, you can take art nouveau pictures or clip art books, like the Dover vector series, and create stencils with the designs. You can stencil designs onto walls, furniture, fabric and more. This is a good way to get the look of Art Nouveau without having to pay for reproduction designs and you can choose the colors you want to use.

Lastly, check online websites like Craigslist or selling apps on your phone to look for AN style furniture pieces. Sometimes you may find pieces at a local thrift shop/charity shop or antique mall for a good deal. There may be real antiques from the art nouveau time period put up for sale so it may be worth your time to check it out. 


What are some things you've tried to get the Art Nouveau look in your home? Let me know below and any other suggestions you may have. Thanks!