The end of the 19th century witnessed a genuine artistic counter-revolution, born of opposition to poor-quality mass production and excessive industrialization. It originated in Great Britain. In England, the Arts and Crafts movement (“arts and crafts”) emerged from 1860 onwards. It sought to restore the value of craft production and rediscover handwork. The ideology underpinning this return to origins spread throughout Europe, giving rise during the final decade of the century to Art Nouveau in Belgium, France and Czechoslovakia, Jugendstil in Germany and Austria, and even inspiring the Mingei movement in Japan.
Breaking down barriers
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The achievements of all these movements in architecture are generally well known (see Mathematics and Architecture, Tangente Library 60, 2017), but the renewed appreciation of craftsmanship extended to every field, and Art Nouveau became an all-encompassing art movement. It broke down the barrier that had until then existed between “major” and “minor” arts and sought to offer everyone an ideal aesthetic world, even in the smallest everyday object. It therefore encompassed painting, sculpture and architecture, as well as cabinetmaking and the production of cutlery, lamps, jewellery and glassware. By favouring curves and arabesques, it advocated a rediscovery of nature—fauna and flora—while also multiplying depictions of women.
