The New Art

William Morris

Towards the late nineteenth century, critics and artists were extremely displeased about the great decline of craftsmanship due to the effects of industrial revolution. They despised the imitations of ornaments created by the machines. John Ruskin along with William Morris wanted to restructure the arts and crafts movement. Their aim was to replace cheap mass production with handiwork. Although they did not succeed in their mission, Ruskin and Morris managed to inform the public about the problems that industrial mass-production had raised. They desperately hoped for a ‘new art’ “based on a new feeling for design", as stated by E.H Gombrich   in his book ‘the story of art’.

'Peacock Skirt' by Abrey Beardsley

The term ‘Art Nouveau’, came from the salon de l` Art Nouveau, a gallery in Paris run by art dealer Samuel Bing. This gallery was an important site, an international meeting place where many young artists were introduced. Art Nouveau was a style of art that looked at natural organic forms. Common motifs included peacocks, flowers and human figures amongst others. The use of flat colours, chromatic contrasts and new lithographic techniques were also quite evident in works produced in this manner. It was not only traditional art that was influenced by this style but all aspects of art and design including architecture, graphics as well as product design.

Japanese Prints

On the other hand, art nouveau was influenced by various things including Japanese prints, the arts and crafts movements, Celtic art as well as William Blake`s book illustration. Other inspirations include the post impressionist artists Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, modern architecture, abstract art and also surrealism. Perhaps the most influential aspect however, was Asian art. The East and West influenced each other’s style of art when these countries started trading. Asian art influenced the western art in aspects such as subject matter, use of space, flat colours, simplification of forms, as well as the use of decorative patterns. All of these aspects, helped to revive graphic design during the last decade of the nineteenth century. This influence is clearly seen when one compares the Japanese print with Aubrey Beardsley's 'peacock skirt'. The flatness, black lines, along with the stylized patterns on the drapery and figures themselves are all common traits found between these two illustrations.

A new law was introduced in 1881, which removed several censorship bans on press. This new law also stated that posters could be hung anywhere except on churches, at polls, or places where official announcements were hung. This helped greatly the poster industry, creating a new value for the applied art. In 1866, Jules Cheret, an important graphic artist at the time, opened a printing firm where he produced chromolithography (colour lithography), a system which used three stones to produce colour. Due to this, Cheret is now known as the father of modern poster. His posters made use of refined designs expressing energy and movement, the idealized female figure and luminous colours. The subject matter was mostly of the Parisian nightlife and activities in cafes and theatres in Paris. The provocative female figure occurred in many of his posters, so much that they were nicknamed ‘Cherettes’. Artists that influenced Cheret include Watteau, Fragonard and Turner. 

Jules Cheret`s Poster

Jules Cheret`s Poster

Jules Cheret`s Poster

References :

The Peacock Skirt; A Portfolio of Aubrey Beardsley's drawings illustrating 'Salome' by Oscar Wilde | Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent | V&A Search the Collections. 2014. The Peacock Skirt; A Portfolio of Aubrey Beardsley's drawings illustrating 'Salome' by Oscar Wilde | Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent | V&A Search the Collections. [ONLINE] Available at:http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O140256/the-peacock-skirt-a-portfolio-print-beardsley-aubrey-vincent/. [Accessed 13 October 2014].

Jules Cheret: French Poster Designer, Lithographer. 2014. Jules Cheret: French Poster Designer, Lithographer. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-artists/jules-cheret.htm. [Accessed 13 October 2014].

History of Art: Modern Style - Art Nouveau . 2014. History of Art: Modern Style - Art Nouveau . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.all-art.org/history530-3.html. [Accessed 13 October 2014].

Philip B. Meggs, 2011. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. 5 Edition. Wiley.

E.H. Gombrich, 1995. The Story of Art. 16 Edition. Phaidon Press.