ART NOUVEAU

 History

The Art Nouveau era took place from 1890 to 1910 and is identified as a period of art history that found inspiration in nature and added to it with beautifully curved fine metals. Art Nouveau was more than just a style; it was a mindset that followed the philosophical idea that “art should be a way of a way of life”. 

Mass production in jewelry was becoming popular during the Art Nouveau Era and with it came the decline in quality and originality. Jewelers during the Art Nouveau Era viewed themselves as more – Art Nouveau Era jewelers likened themselves to artists, putting extra care and dedication to their meticulously hand-crafted pieces.

The Art Nouveau was an unspoken protest of the Industrial Revolution of the time – with more factories arising, this period wanted to demonstrate an appreciation for the decline of creativity in craft, natural elements and its delicate features contrast the brute aspects of industrialism. [1]

Rejecting conventional attitudes to materials and technical training, designers of the Art Nouveau movement produced work that was characterized by the use of semi-precious stones and enamels and a hand-made look. The expression of the material was treasured higher than the material value. The movement aimed to break away from machine-made, mass-produced jewelry, and instead offer skillfully crafted art pieces, each embodying emotion and soul. Art Nouveau brought art to everyday objects and created an aesthetic not seen at any other time of history. 

 Art Nouveau artists rejected traditional design rules and sought to create a whole new style of visual art. The intention was to stand out against industrialization and the mass-production of the Victorian era. [2]  The Paris Exhibition of 1900 was at the center of this intensely colorful and sophisticated period, and Art Nouveau continued with little change until the outbreak of the First World War 1914. [3]

Although they had been strict advocates of crafts, the artists of the Art Nouveau movement began to collaborate with industry, recognizing the value of design as a fundamental premise of mass pro­ duction. It was the first step towards a renewal of the applied arts and the growth of industrial design in a contemporary sense.[4]

original from National museum collection

Photo credit: Greta Lindström / Nationalmuseum

This necklace was made in France during the height of the Art Nouveau era, and it follow the aesthetic of the time. Art Nouveau jewelry contained soft, delicate and romantic features that emphasized on light colors and delicate curves. The most popular stone of the period was a pearl, but the pearls popularity was closely followed by the popularity of pastel shaded gemstones.

This necklace is experimenting with new techniques and bold juxtaposes­ of materials. The jewel represented one of the most accomplished symbols of modernity due to its ability to combine art and technology, culture and progress, elitism and democracy, as well as its potential applications in other product categories.[5]

The main reason for using gemstones was decorative. The beauty of the stone was far more important than its actual value. To create an object of beauty by choosing materials for their natural qualities rather than their intrinsic value was what the craftsman of the Art Nouveau movement was striving for.  

 re-designed necklace

RE-DESIGN

Art nouveau was a reaction against the machine-made and the mass-produced and they made jewelry pieces celebrated the natural, organic the feminine. In the redesign of this necklace would like to show the amazing detail and creativity that lays in the collaboration between additive manufacturing and CAD-designer.

The craftsmen of Art Nouveau jewelers were experimenting with new techniques and bold juxtapo­ sitions of materials and form. The jewel represented one of the most accomplished symbols of modernity due to its ability to combine art and technology, culture and progress, elitism and democracy.[6]

I have extended on this line thinking, by combining the unique design possibilities that lays in Cad-design and traditional craft skills. CAD-design facilitates the possibility to create natural intricate pieces with meticulous detail. One can quickly design, change and scale patterns and structures. These skills gives todays crafts partitioners the freedom to easily create pieces that contain naturalistic shapes with intricate patterns and structures.

process picture

3d-model of redesign

Footnotes

[1] https://loveyoutomorrow.com/history-art-nouveau-jewelry/

[2] https://howtobuyvintagejewelry.com/understanding-art-nouveau-jewelry

[3] Jewelry from antiquity to the present.pdf p 160

[4] Jewelry from art nova to 3d printing p 16

[5] Jewelry from art nova to 3d printing p 10  

[6] Jewelry from art nova to 3d printing p 10

This project was made possible with the support of