Chapter 11

Art Nouveau, meaning "new art", was an international design that involved all aspects of the art world, especially posters and magazines as advertisements. The characteristic quality of art nouveau was very organic, fluid lines from the feminine form and plants. An art form called ukiyo-e made an impact on the beginnings of the art nouveau style. This screen printed style was the last phase of the traditional art in Japan and quickly moved on to woodblock print. European artist drew their inspirations from this style. Two designers in France, Jules Cheret and Eugene Grasset, were important in the transition between this art nouveau style and the Victorian style. Cheret became a popular poster designer and rose to fame in Paris with the actress Sarah Bernhardt when he began to design posters for her theater shows. He enjoyed using bright primary colors with one or more central figure. The women in his posters, Cherettes, were inspiration for many women and gave them new social freedoms. Grasset was Cheret's only real competition with his watercolor designs in his "coloring-book style". Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was influenced by Grasset and became another big name in France with his new dymanic design. Alphonse Mucha was also a big name who became famous with his Bernhardt posters and his female figures often portrayed in his works. Aubrey Beardsley was popular in England for about five years with his bold pen line and white and black design. Charles Ricketts followed with a Celtic design and flat, stylized figures that he drew with minimal lines and flat shapes. The art nouveau style moved on to America where it grew with Louis Rhead and Will Bradley, who mostly designed magazine covers and layouts. Jugendstil was the name for the art nouveau movement through Germany with strong influences from France and Britain. Peter Behrens was known through this time for his large woodblock prints for the publication "Jungend" and his experimentation with ornaments and vingnettes in other publications.
I love the work by Cheret with his bright colors and only a few central figures in his poster designs. I also enjoy the impact that he had on the female society at the time. He got rid of stereotypes and showed that women could enjoy what they pleased without looking like a prude or overly sexual.
Did the European style of the art nouveau movement take anything more from the ukiyo-e style than the organic lines and shapes?