Called variously Le Style Moderne, Liberty Style, and a host of other names, the style known today as Art Nouveau - the art of the new - flowered in the mid-1880s and did not fade until World War I. Predominantly a decorative style, its lushly curving forms and ornament found inspiration in nature rather than in classical shapes. As Constance M. Greiff describes in this exuberant sampler, Art Nouveau curves showed up in the Paris Metro stations, idiosyncratic buildings by Antoni Gaudi in Spain, and a seductive collection of jewelry, furniture, Tiffany lamps, Liberty textiles, wallpapers, and ceramics in which the swirling line was dominant. -- amazon.com
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