The modernism or art nouveau is a style embodied in all the arts between 1890 and 1920, the product of a current of artistic renewal that would develop in Europe. The artists (painters, sculptors, designers, writers) wanted to break with more rigid previous styles, such as neoclassicism, and even with the so-called rupturists (impressionists and realists) to create a “new art”, free, young and modern.
In modernism, sinuous shapes inspired by nature abounded, especially plant shapes, and new elements from the Industrial Revolution were incorporated, such as glass and steel..
One of its fundamental premises was to socialize art, "democratize beauty", pointing out that even everyday furniture, in addition to being functional, could also be beautiful artistically, and hence art nouveau invaded buildings and expressed itself in lamps, chairs, stairs, doors, windows.
Beauty would be available to everyone, although without making use of the massive production that was beginning. Modernism manifested itself not only in architecture, painting or sculpture, but also in literature, graphic arts and the design of furniture, jewelry, glassware, ceramics, etc..
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Art nouveau developed in the last decades of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. This period is known as the belle epoque or end of ifècle, characterized by an enthusiasm for scientific discoveries, the rise of positivism, and a sense of progress.
But it was also tinged with a certain uneasiness derived from the economic and cultural changes that were influencing all social layers. The consciousness of the future was adhering to the social consciousness, in some way, with the intention of creating something totally new.
This historical period was framed between the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 (between Prussia and France, with the victory of Prussia and its allies, the North German Confederation and the kingdoms of Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria) and the beginning of the First World War. in 1914.
In addition, it coincided with the second Industrial Revolution, in which technological and industrial processes underwent irreversible and accelerated changes in all areas of life. And with the so-called "armed peace", characterized by the enormous development of the war industry and the tension between the various European powers.
All this made the young people feel puzzled and wanted their own way of expression. They turned their eyes to nature and were inspired by it to bring greater grace to architectural toughness, hand in hand with modern ingredients: concrete and steel..
Art nouveau was a reaction movement against the exhaustion of the prevailing aesthetic values at the time, and a way of facing an uncertain present and future, framed by industrialized society and latent threats of war..
This period was lavish in artistic manifestations of all kinds, and what allowed the later European avant-gardes to curdle..
It was called in different ways in different countries: Art nouveau in France and Belgium; Modernism in Spain and Latin America; Sezessionstil in Austria; Jugendstil in Germany; Modern Style in the UK and North America; Nieuwe Kunst in the Netherlands, and Liberty or Stile Floreale in Italy.
What these names indicate is the condition of new, of youth, of free thing, of rupture with the previous thing. We can find its roots in the Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer William Morris, who led the Arts & Crafts movement in the UK..
The first art nouveau architectural works emerged in Belgium, although Paris was the center of dissemination of this movement, which spread to the rest of Europe.
There are certain characteristics that allow art nouveau to be recognized, which distinguish it from other artistic trends, such as art deco.
Natural elements are preferred, especially vegetables (branches, roots, flowers, etc.) and organic forms intertwined with the central motif.
The use of sinuous and rounded shapes, of curves, is characteristic both in facades and in decoration. It is usual to see doors and windows in the shape of arches.
Bet on compositions without a geometric perspective, emphasizing the asymmetrical and ornate character. Thus, the figures were more fluid and agile.
In painting and graphic arts (the elaboration of posters or posters, and even in the covers of books) the use of colors without degradation or variations in tone is noted.
His intention to democratize art led artists to design furniture for everyday use (chairs, tables, beds, stairs, etc.), both in the private and public spheres. Thus, subway entrances, streetlights, kiosks, urinals, etc. began to be seen..
We should point out that art nouveau, despite its democratic objective, became the preferred style of the bourgeoisie of the time, hedonistic and eager to differentiate itself from the rest, whose purchasing power allowed the figure of patronage..
It was then possible for the wealthiest to entrust these artists with both the design of their houses and their furniture, something that the majority of the population could not afford..
Houses, palaces, kiosks, everything in art nouveau sought unity in style. Each object, piece of furniture, stained glass window, column, depended on the rest, and it was not possible to replace any of these elements without endangering the whole..
As we already mentioned, the appearance of branches, flowers and leaves on facades is common, but also in drawings and paintings, in ornaments such as handrails and in blacksmithing in general..
Modernism made use of the female body and represented it in a stylized way, in delicate and graceful attitudes. The folds of the dresses were emphasized and the hair was represented richly wavy.
The artists had no qualms about seeking inspiration from other cultures, especially the Mudejar or the Japanese. The taste for these reasons was called orientalism.
Modernist painters broke with academicism and impressionism. They took refuge in symbolism, and the object and function of painting were questioned.
Pure lines are emphasized to give a two-dimensional character to the painting, as well as the use of flat colors and the expressiveness of the drawing, thus being a precursor of expressionism movement..
The horror of emptiness is manifested in abundant curvilinear elements, leaves, branches, flowers, stems, which completely fill the spaces, without leaving any emptiness.
The formats preferred by painters are landscape and elongated, to give the sensation of stylized figures to the extreme.
It is one of the frequent themes in modernist painting. The technical treatment of the female body has a very marked eroticism, sometimes being considered pornographic.
Artists from all over the European continent participated in this international movement. The most prominent painters are Gustave Klimt, Théophile Steinlen, Aubrey Beardsley, Stanisław Wyspiański, Alphonse Mucha, or Santiago Rusiñol, among many more.
-In Austria, Gustave Klimt (1862-1918) was a member and first president of the Sezessionstil, his most important modernist works were "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer", "Dánae", both from 1907, "The Kiss", 1907-1908 , and participated in the ornamentation of the Stoclet Palace, considered the synthesis of Central European art nouveau.
-In France, Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923), better known as Steinlen, was a well-known painter and lithographer. I used to live in the Montmartre district, and befriended Adolphe Willette and the artists of Le Chat Noir.
Worked for magazines Gil Blas, Le rire, The Humouristes or L'Assiette au Beurre, among many others, and made numerous posters and posters, the most famous of which is precisely "The Black Cat".
-In Poland, Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907), in addition to being a painter, was a cabinetmaker, architect and playwright. He was a very influential artist, and made the famous stained glass windows in the church of Krakow, where the art nouveau style can be clearly seen.
He made numerous works, among them, "Self-portrait with a woman at the window", 1904, and "Maternity", 1905.
-In the United Kingdom, Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was one of the greatest critics of Victorian society. He was an important and innovative illustrator of books in luxury editions, editor of the first four editions of The yellow book and illustrator of magazines such as The Savoy or The Studio. Illustrated Salome, of his friend Oscar Wilde, and Lysistrata, the comedy of Aristophanes.
-In the Czech Republic, Alfons Mucha (1860-1939) was one of the greatest exponents of art nouveau. He began his career very young, as a decorative painter for theatrical productions.
One of his most famous lithographic posters is that of the work Medea, with actress Sarah Bernhardt, in 1898, at the Renaissance Theater, causing such a sensation that the actress offered her a 6-year exclusive contract.
Many not only made the posters, but also the sets and costumes.
-In Spain, Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931) is one of the representatives of modernism. In 1889 he moved to Paris, where he lived in Montmartre with Ramón Casas and Ignacio Zuloaga, two other Spanish painters, and when he returned to Barcelona he frequented the café Els Quatre Gats, a place of reference for Catalan modernism..
Among his most outstanding works are "The romantic novel" and "The morphine", both from 1894.
In literature, this term was coined thanks to the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. It is a clearly Hispanic-American movement, the first to influence Spain. It occurred mainly in poetry, and the publication of Blue… in 1888 as its beginning.
Literary modernism was characterized by a profound aesthetic renovation of both meter and language. It could be said that it is a synthesis of symbolism and Parnassianism, which seeks formal perfection in poems.
Likewise, a stylistic preciousness is observed, and the search for beauty is manifested in very plastic images. It abuses alliteration, which is the repetition of similar sounds in sentences, and synesthesia: see a sound, hear a color.
Darío renewed, adapted, the Castilian metric to the Latin one. It included verses of 9, 12 or 14 syllables making innovations to the sonnet.
He introduced Hellenisms, Gallicisms and cultisms in his poems, as a way of renewing the language. He was more interested in rarity than precision.
His themes are exotic, in rejection of everyday reality, and it is common for poems to take place in remote places.
Among the many modernist, Spanish-American and Spanish poets, its creator, Rubén Darío, Leopoldo Lugones, José Asunción Silva, José Martí, Antonio Machado and Amado Nervo stand out..
-The highest representative of literary modernism was Rubén Darío (1867-1916), from Nicaragua. His most representative works are Blue… , which collects both poems and prose texts, from 1888, and Songs of life and hope, out of 1905.
-In Argentina, Leopoldo Lugones (1874-1938) is another of the important figures. His stories are considered precursors of Argentine fantasy literature, and he was one of the first authors to write short stories..
His most outstanding works in poetry are The mountains of gold, 1897, Sentimental lunario, 1909, Secular odes, 1910, and in stories, The gaucho war, 1905, or the Fatal tales, 1924.
-In Colombia, José Asunción Silva (1865-1896) stands out, and his works are divided into the poems “Nocturno III”, of 1891, “Nocturno y diurno”, of 1892 and “My father and I, lethargy towards the city”, out of 1902.
-In Cuba, José Martí (1853-1895) initiated modernism. In poetry, “Free Verses”, from 1882, “Simple Verses”, from 1891 or “Flores del exierro”, between 1878 and 1895 stand out..
-In Spain, Antonio Machado (1875-1939) was a modernist especially in his initial poetry. We highlight Solitudes, of 1903 and 1907, and Castile fields, out of 1912.
-In Mexico, Amado Nervo (1867-1919) is the main modernist representative, and his work is divided into poetry, theater, novels, short stories and essays, highlighting the collection of poems The inner gardens, out of 1905.
The Industrial Revolution generated a new class, which demanded its own architecture. Both the church and the palace were no longer important, being replaced by private houses but also by public spaces, such as theaters, museums, office buildings or for exhibitions..
Traditional materials are used, such as stone, brick or wood, and others such as steel, glass, cast iron and cement are added.
Progress inspires architects, and advances in science allow them to conveniently calculate all materials, to produce works that challenge the limits of resistance of those materials.
They are not only investigating traditional construction techniques, they are also trying to find new ways. Descriptive geometry is an architectural innovation. Architects begin to experiment with building systems.
Although there are important architects within this movement, we will talk about those we consider most representative: in Belgium, Victor Horta, and in Spain, Antoni Gaudí.
-Victor Horta (1861-1947) is considered the pioneer architect of art nouveau. His most outstanding work is the Tassel house, located in Brussels, and made between 1892 and 1893. In it he uses all the elements of modernism.
-Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was the most extraordinary and peculiar Spanish architect of art nouveau, who would deserve a separate article just for him.
The Casa Milà, Park Güell and the unfinished Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia are outstanding works.
The most common materials for large-scale works were marble and bronze. For smaller pieces, ivory, precious metals or a combination of them, ceramics and glass.
Modernism in sculpture took the female figure as its main theme, following the same line of other disciplines.
Among the modernist sculptors we highlight the Belgian Philippe Wolfers, with Hex, from 1896; to the Catalan sculptor Josep Clarà, with The goddess, 1909, or Manolo Hugué, also Spanish, with Woman at rest, out of 1925.
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