NGA - Teaching Art Nouveau: Glossary

Glossary

aesthetic movement: Predominantly English movement that stressed "art for art's sake." Major figures included Oscar Wilde and James McNeill Whistler.
applied arts: Traditionally, art made for a practical purpose (e.g., weaving, metalwork, ceramics, woodworking, graphic design, etc.). Art nouveau rejected the distinction between applied and fine art.
arts and crafts movement: Movement that originated in England around the middle of the nineteenth century and whose influence spread to Europe and the United States. Its major inspirations were John Ruskin and William Morris. Anti-industrial in outlook, it promoted an image of the artist-craftsman, insisted on the equality of fine and applied art, and was committed to honest use of materials. Though medieval art influenced many arts and crafts designers, the movement rejected historicism.
baroque: A style in art and architecture that flourished about 1600 - 1750. It was characterized by bold and dynamic forms, a strong sense of drama, and monumentality.
Charles Baudelaire: French symbolist poet, 1821 - 1867. One of the originators of symbolism, he sought correspondences among different sensory inputs (sound, color, etc.).
Bauhaus: School in Weimar, Germany, founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius (1883 - 1969). The Bauhaus aesthetic, which encompassed architecture and the applied arts, was committed to an art allied with technology. Its emphasis on industrial techniques and appropriate, economical use of industrial materials lay the cornerstone for the spare geometry of much twentieth-century architecture.
Aubrey Beardsley: English artist, 1872 - 1898. The sinuous linear style of Beardsley's book illustrations was an important influence on art nouveau.
Sarah Bernhardt: French actress, 1844 - 1923. Posters of her plays made by Alphonse Mucha are some of the best known works of art nouveau.
chinoiserie: Chinese motifs and subjects, used especially in European rococo design.
classical: Variously defined; generally of or pertaining to the art or culture of ancient Greece and Rome. In architecture it suggests clear lines and harmonious proportions.
Claude Debussy: French composer, 1862 - 1819. His composition L'Après-midi d'un faune was based on a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé; such unity among all the arts was an art nouveau ideal.
decorative arts: Traditionally, art made for a practical purpose (e.g., weaving, metalwork, ceramics, woodworking, graphic design, etc.). Art nouveau rejected the distinction between applied and fine art.
Isadora Duncan: American dancer, 1878 - 1927. She was a pioneer of expressive movement in the Western dance tradition.
fine arts: Traditionally, art made for beauty (e.g., painting, sculpture) rather than practical use. Distinctions between fine and applied or decorative arts were rejected by art nouveau.
historicism: Use of styles, ornamentation, and motifs from the past (e.g, rococo, baroque, classical), often in eclectic combination, especially in architecture.
Stéphane Mallarmé: French symbolist poet, 1842 - 1898. His verse sought to evoke thoughts through suggestion rather than description, the "music" of his words holding equal place with their meaning.
modernism: An imprecise term variously used. Generally it describes a succession of avant-garde styles that dominated art and architecture in the twentieth century. In architecture, what is usually called "international modernism" stressed rationality (functionality) and clarity of design. Clean-lined, mostly cubic international style buildings avoid all reference to historical precedents.
William Morris: English writer, artist, and political activist, 1834 - 1896. Morris was an important theorist and practitioner in the arts and crafts movement.
Nabis: A group of artists influenced by symbolism, who stressed the equality of fine and applied arts and sought to convey ideas or emotions rather than the external appearance of the natural world.
neo-impressionist style: A postimpressionist style also called pointillism. Developed by Georges Seurat, it was characterized by discrete touches of color. While it relied on scientific theory of perception, it also had a more mystical approach to harmonies of color and line.
Friedrich Nietzsche: German philologist and philosopher, 1844 - 1900. His investigation into the irrational aspects of ancient Greek culture gave art nouveau, especially in Germany and Austria, an alternative approach to classical traditions.
pantheism: A belief that nontheistic divinity completely pervades all of nature, making the creator and the created one.
postimpressionism: A loose designation for work by artists like Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Seurat, all of whom sought to move beyond impressionism's transcription of visual phenomena in order to express interior thought or emotion.
John Ruskin: English critic, 1819 - 1900. Ruskin's opinions were enormously influential. His writings that decried the ugliness of modern industrial society were a major influence on the arts and crafts movement.
Salambo: Fictional Carthaginian princess, heroine of a novel by Gustave Flaubert.
Salomé: In the New Testament, Salomé's dance before King Herod is rewarded with the beheading of John the Baptist.
sphinx: In Egyptian and Greek mythology, a hybrid creature, part lion and part woman, which often symbolized knowledge.
symbolism: A movement in literature and the visual arts that was occupied with a symbolic or spiritual world beyond appearances. It emphasized interior states, fantasy, dreams, the erotic, the exotic, and the occult.
James McNeill Whistler: American artist, 1834 - 1903, associated with the aesthetic movement in England. Whistler's use of elegant and simple Japanese design and his concern for creating whole aesthetic interiors were important influences on art nouveau.
Oscar Wilde: Irish poet, playwright, and wit, 1854-1900. Wilde was allied with the aesthetic movement. Public outrage over the trials arising from Wilde's homosexuality fueled English distrust of art nouveau as decadent and effeminate--and is one reason the style did not succeed in England as it did elsewhere.

	Glossary aesthetic movement Predominantly English movement that stressed "art for art's sake." Major figures included Oscar Wilde and James McNeill Whistler. applied arts Traditionally, art made for a practical purpose (e.g., weaving, metalwork, ceramics, woodworking, graphic design, etc.). Art nouveau rejected the distinction between applied and fine art. arts and crafts movement Movement that originated in England around the middle of the nineteenth century and whose influence spread to Europe and the United States. Its major inspirations were John Ruskin and William Morris. Anti-industrial in outlook, it promoted an image of the artist-craftsman, insisted on the equality of fine and applied art, and was committed to honest use of materials. Though medieval art influenced many arts and crafts designers, the movement rejected historicism. baroque A style in art and architecture that flourished about 1600 - 1750. It was characterized by bold and dynamic forms, a strong sense of drama, and monumentality. Charles Baudelaire French symbolist poet, 1821 - 1867. One of the originators of symbolism, he sought correspondences among different sensory inputs (sound, color, etc.). Bauhaus School in Weimar, Germany, founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius (1883 - 1969). The Bauhaus aesthetic, which encompassed architecture and the applied arts, was committed to an art allied with technology. Its emphasis on industrial techniques and appropriate, economical use of industrial materials lay the cornerstone for the spare geometry of much twentieth-century architecture. Aubrey Beardsley English artist, 1872 - 1898. The sinuous linear style of Beardsley's book illustrations was an important influence on art nouveau. Sarah Bernhardt French actress, 1844 - 1923. Posters of her plays made by Alphonse Mucha are some of the best known works of art nouveau. chinoiserie Chinese motifs and subjects, used especially in European rococo design. classical Variously defined; generally of or pertaining to the art or culture of ancient Greece and Rome. In architecture it suggests clear lines and harmonious proportions. Claude Debussy French composer, 1862 - 1819. His composition L'Après-midi d'un faune was based on a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé; such unity among all the arts was an art nouveau ideal. decorative arts Traditionally, art made for a practical purpose (e.g., weaving, metalwork, ceramics, woodworking, graphic design, etc.). Art nouveau rejected the distinction between applied and fine art. Isadora Duncan American dancer, 1878 - 1927. She was a pioneer of expressive movement in the Western dance tradition. fine arts Traditionally, art made for beauty (e.g., painting, sculpture) rather than practical use. Distinctions between fine and applied or decorative arts were rejected by art nouveau. historicism Use of styles, ornamentation, and motifs from the past (e.g, rococo, baroque, classical), often in eclectic combination, especially in architecture. Stéphane Mallarmé French symbolist poet, 1842 - 1898. His verse sought to evoke thoughts through suggestion rather than description, the "music" of his words holding equal place with their meaning. modernism An imprecise term variously used. Generally it describes a succession of avant-garde styles that dominated art and architecture in the twentieth century. In architecture, what is usually called "international modernism" stressed rationality (functionality) and clarity of design. Clean-lined, mostly cubic international style buildings avoid all reference to historical precedents. William Morris English writer, artist, and political activist, 1834 - 1896. Morris was an important theorist and practitioner in the arts and crafts movement. Nabis A group of artists influenced by symbolism, who stressed the equality of fine and applied arts and sought to convey ideas or emotions rather than the external appearance of the natural world. neo-impressionist style A postimpressionist style also called pointillism. Developed by Georges Seurat, it was characterized by discrete touches of color. While it relied on scientific theory of perception, it also had a more mystical approach to harmonies of color and line. Friedrich Nietzsche German philologist and philosopher, 1844 - 1900. His investigation into the irrational aspects of ancient Greek culture gave art nouveau, especially in Germany and Austria, an alternative approach to classical traditions. pantheism A belief that nontheistic divinity completely pervades all of nature, making the creator and the created one. postimpressionism A loose designation for work by artists like Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Seurat, all of whom sought to move beyond impressionism's transcription of visual phenomena in order to express interior thought or emotion. John Ruskin English critic, 1819 - 1900. Ruskin's opinions were enormously influential. His writings that decried the ugliness of modern industrial society were a major influence on the arts and crafts movement. Salambo Fictional Carthaginian princess, heroine of a novel by Gustave Flaubert. Salomé In the New Testament, Salomé's dance before King Herod is rewarded with the beheading of John the Baptist. sphinx In Egyptian and Greek mythology, a hybrid creature, part lion and part woman, which often symbolized knowledge. symbolism A movement in literature and the visual arts that was occupied with a symbolic or spiritual world beyond appearances. It emphasized interior states, fantasy, dreams, the erotic, the exotic, and the occult. James McNeill Whistler American artist, 1834 - 1903, associated with the aesthetic movement in England. Whistler's use of elegant and simple Japanese design and his concern for creating whole aesthetic interiors were important influences on art nouveau. Oscar Wilde Irish poet, playwright, and wit, 1854-1900. Wilde was allied with the aesthetic movement. Public outrage over the trials arising from Wilde's homosexuality fueled English distrust of art nouveau as decadent and effeminate--and is one reason the style did not succeed in England as it did elsewhere.
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