Art Nouveau

Curved lines conveying unseen flowers and plants, facades made of glass and concrete, metal structures seamlessly woven into the building as if growing from it, tables and chairs adorned with floral patterns, book fonts reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy, - all... of this has several names - "modern", "art nouveau", "liberty", "secession", "freestyle", etc. This style conquered the space of America and Europe in less than 20 years. It penetrated so deeply into the literature, art, and culture of different countries that even today it inspires not only artists and poets, but also captivates millions of people with its purity and symbolism. And during its brief dominance, it found not only supporters. "When you look at (a house represented in this style), you experience shock, as from Menelik's tent (the 'King of Kings' of Ethiopia) made of lion skins, full of ostrich feathers, naked women, red and gold, giraffes and elephants!" or "...The man of our time, driven by inner impulse to cover the walls with erotic symbols, is either a criminal or a degenerate... The culture of any country can be measured by the extent to which the walls of its restrooms are adorned... The evolution of culture is equivalent to the removal of ornamentation from consumables." Let us try to get acquainted with art nouveau and form our impression of this direction in art.