Nature paints for us day by day pictures of endless beauty, only if we have the eyes to see them.
John Ruskin
The winds of change at the end of the 19th century, as it had happened before at the turn of centuries, sparked the need for a new, freer relationship between humans and space. Seeking a new way of expression, proponents of the new style turned to nature, imitating its forms. The new style encompassed all branches of art – architecture, painting, sculpture, crafts, industrial design, applied arts, fashion, jewelry, graphics, illustration, posters… The ultimate goal was to connect different forms of creative artistic activities.
The name of this artistic movement is Secession (from the German word Sezession), but in different countries it was called by different names. In Austria, it was known as Viennese Secession, in Germany as Jugendstil, in Great Britain as modern or free style, in France and Belgium as Art Nouveau, in Spain as modernism, in Italy as flore. Aisle or liberty, in Russia the art world (мир искусства), and in the USA a later version emerged – art deco. The very word “secession,” separation, suggests a radical break from previous academicism and signifies a new and unique visual expression.
One of the most expressive characteristics of this style is the dynamic, undulating line of interrupted rhythm, decorative and asymmetrical, often taking the form of floral stems, tendrils and buds, leaves, bird feathers, insect wings, and other refined natural shapes.
English Sources
Although this new style appeared almost simultaneously in various parts of Europe, its roots were in the English Arts and Crafts Movement, whose main promoters were: designer, writer, and social activist William Morris, Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones, architect Philip Webb, and writer, painter, philosopher, art and society theorist and critic John Ruskin. Ruskin, as a leading figure of the mid to late Victorian era, During the Oriyan period had a strong influence on the development of art and aesthetics in the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. He particularly emphasized the importance of connection with nature as the ultimate source of beauty and truth. The pursuit of beauty in all areas of life prompted him to contemplate a new social order. From 1850 onwards, he increasingly turned towards social issues and sharply criticized the advancement of soulless capitalism. In his impactful book Unto This Last, he opposed industrialization that neglects human spiritual needs and values in the pursuit of profit. He believed that mass, impersonal industrial production degrades, pollutes, impoverishes, and dehumanizes people, thus undermining society. As an alternative to mass production, he founded The Guild of St George, where he promoted creative manual work and artisan crafts. Alongside William Morris, who was appalled by the living and working conditions of English workers, He endeavored to reintroduce elements of beauty into everyday human life. Despite being the main advocate of the Arts and Crafts movement, Morris based his approach to art and society on Ruskin’s philosophy. He called for the expansion of art “to everything that surrounds us in life,” beyond the boundaries of what we consider to be artworks. This English movement would influence the creation of the 1900 style, or Art Nouveau, in Europe.
In England, Art Nouveau emerged from the Arts and Crafts movement, focused primarily on applied arts. The movement’s main advocate, William Morris, founded a company for furniture, textiles, and wallpapers, without the use of machines. His goal was to revive artisan workshops inspired by the medieval era, where artistically designed objects for everyday use would be crafted.
Painting and Graphics
The fundamental characteristics of Art Nouveau in painting and graphics, as well as sculpture and applied arts, are wavy and sinuous lines, The utilization of plant and animal motifs, geometric ornaments, and emphasized decorativeness are common characteristics. The most frequent motifs include orchids, tulips, lilies, marine flora and fauna, butterflies, fairies, etc. Additionally, depictions of the female body are common, often resembling a flower, very gracefully portrayed.
The principles that permeate all areas of design are liveliness and organicness, meaning there is no strictness and no rules. Basic and strong colors were avoided, and there was a tendency towards unusual combinations of gold and muted tones of other colors that fit together based on the principles of contrast and harmony.
A prominent place in the art of that period also belongs to graphic design (posters and other printed materials), which was partly inspired by Japanese graphic art (ukiyo-e).
The Secession movement ignited industrial design. Within two decades, manufacturers employed many artists as designers. They revived the art of handwriting and advocated the idea that there is no point in making a distinction between fine and decorative art. Many advocates of the style contributed to spreading the ideas of the movement that influenced the Art Nouveau style in surrounding countries.
Architecture and Living Space
In shaping living spaces, efforts were made to break down the boundaries between exterior architecture and interior design. Equal attention was paid to interior design as well as external architecture. Emphasis was placed on practicality, comfort, and the refinement of execution.
In construction, new spatial solutions were enabled by the use of innovative building elements and modern materials. Metal fences, displays, benches, lighting fixtures, besides serving their purpose as supports, were artistically designed based on the principles of the style. Rich decoration appeared in two forms – floral and geometric. The wealth of forms and variety of techniques were also expressed in the elegant sophistication of Art Nouveau ceramics and stained glass windows.
In the French-speaking area, Art Nouveau is known as art nouveau. Designers of Art Nouveau in Belgium, Switzerland, and France include artists, but Architects and designers such as: Victor Horta, Henry van de Velde, Theophile Alexandre Steinlen, Alphonse Mucha, Hector Guimard, and Émile Gallé.
The cultural magazine Die Jugend, founded by journalist and publisher Georg Hirth in 1892 in Munich, actively promoted Art Nouveau in art and many local artists contributed to its development. Numerous companies collaborated in spreading this art and design, making the style famous worldwide, combining decorative motifs such as female figures (usually depicted with intertwined long hair, soft dresses, and sensuality) and various geometric shapes. In architecture, works of many great architects emerged, such as painter Franz von Stuck, who established the Munich Secession in 1892, painter and graphic artist Max Liebermann, and Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler.
In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Art Nouveau developed in several ways, mostly under the influence of the Viennese Secession. The pioneers of the Viennese Secession were artists. The graphic artist Gustav Klimt, designer of applied arts objects, and painter Koloman Moser, as well as architects Josef Hoffmann, Joseph Maria Olbrich, and Otto Wagner, all played a significant role in the Viennese Secession movement, which more or less influenced all countries of the Habsburg Monarchy.
Otto Wagner (1841 – 1918), the most prominent representative of the Viennese Secession, adorned the facade of a simple reinforced concrete building with ceramic tiles featuring floral motifs (Majolika House, 1889, Vienna). This style of decoration, emerging from natural forms stylized in the spirit of the times and the movement, became a hallmark of the Secession.
SECESSION IN OTHER COUNTRIES
CROATIA
In Croatia, the new artistic movement emerged under the influence of the Viennese Secession (1898) and lasted until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1918). The same year Secession emerged in Vienna a group of artists separated from the Society of Artists and founded the Society of Croatian Artists. The Secession movement laid the foundation for the development of Croatian art throughout the 20th century.
Publicist In the magazine Vijenac, Ivo Pilar published in 1898 a discussion on Secession, a study on modern art, advocating for new art and its principles (freedom of creation, simplification of forms, enrichment of content…) and new media (reproduction and poster).
Some prominent works of Croatian secession are by painters such as Vlaho Bukovac, Bela Čikoš Sesija, Mirko Rački, Tomislav Krizman, Robert Auer, Marko Rašica, and Slava Raškaj, sculptors Robert Frangeš-Mihanović and Ivan Meštrović, architects Rudolf Lubynski, Aladar Baranyai, Ignjat Fischer, Dionis Sunko, and Viktor Kovačić.
Secession is at the turn of the century and at the turning point from pre-industrial to indus. The Victorian era successfully left its mark on all areas of modern life, turning it towards nature and objects shaped by human hands. It had a significant influence on fashion and lifestyle at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, leaving behind a vivid and inspiring portrait of its time.