POST 03: Art Nouveau in the United States

Tiffany art nouveau



Art Nouveau, as we have discussed previously, was a pretty big influence in the world, apart from Europe. The movement did reach the United States of America, but not as "a full-blown movement". Indeed, there were only two main American figures who were apart of this movement, and they did bring a much more bigger influence in the world with their amazing works.

First, there was Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), an American artist and designer who has experiences in artistic painting, stained glass, and the decorative arts. He brought the movement in the United States, after attending the famous first exhibition/gallery called Art Nouveau, in Paris. He is mostly known for his lamps, vases, and windows.

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933). Vase. 1915. Favrile glass. Musée d'Orsay - Paris - France [previous pinner's caption]
A Louis Comfort Tiffany vase.


The other main figure that represents Art Nouveau in the United States, is the architect Louis Henry Sullivan (1856-1924). He is considered to be the "father of skyscrapers" and the "father of modernism". He is apart of the movement, because his works can be described as being very richly detailed and ornamented. The Carson Pirie Scott Building is proof of that description.
Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. building (Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham) #Chicago #RealEstate #Architecture
The Carson Pirie Scott department store in Chicago.

Cast iron entryway detail, Schlesinger & Mayer Building, Chicago, c. 1899 (Louis H. Sullivan, 1856-1924).
A close-up on one of the windows of the Carson Pirie Scott department store.


Current Applications:



A staircase inspired by the movement.
Russian Neo Art Nouveau architecture
A Russian home inspired by Art Nouveau.




ONE STEP FURTHER

Louis Henry Sullivan captivated me by his story. Born in the city of Boston, he was trained in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and returned in the States after a huge fire in Chicago ruined the city. In rebuilding it, he truly defined the American style by building skyscrapers with innovative materials such as steel. I think it is amazing that he was trained in Paris, where skyscrapers barely exist today. He is for sure an incredibly talented architect. The American style was also defined by the American flora and not the European one. His style was pretty modern too and I am sure he influenced a lot of architects worldwide. 


A frieze of the Wrainwright building in St. Louis.

Ornamentation in the Transportation Building in Chicago.



Comments

  1. Eunice Slanwa February 4, 2018 at 3:55 PM

    Martha, you mentioned how in Sullivan's designs, he used the American flora and not the European. I found this interesting when I was reading the chapter as well. It shows that he was not just copying what he was from the Europeans, but he was using the concepts that he learned appropriately and in the right context. I think it is important for artists and designers to respect their locations and work relative to that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. amberbuieFebruary 5, 2018 at 11:08 AM

    Martha,
    I loved seeing all your examples of Tiffany's and Sullivan's design. I agree with Eunice in that both had big world influences for their work but still designed for the intended audience.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaFebruary 7, 2018 at 2:30 PM

    Martha,
    You have provided us with a great summary of Art Nouveau in the United States.
    The visual examples are perfect, dipicting the best examples of Art Nouveau by Louis Henry Sullivan and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
    Your summary of Sullivan in "One Step Further" was very interesting from your perspective- he was a master! The event of the Chicago fire and his skill brought for the sky scraper which had not been developed to that level before this time.

    ReplyDelete

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