Thierry DemeyGuides Badeaux T.14 : L'art Nouveau, Féerie Ephémère De La Belle Epoque

No other architectural and decorative trend than Art Nouveau has been the subject of such a profusion of publications, documentaries, exhibitions and tourist circuits in the heart of the cities that house its most famous treasures, even if it means extending the heritage for a good cause. None has had such a cruel fate, praised one day, vilified the next, dragging its artists into a long purgatory from which they have only recently emerged. The fad of the early days, as short-lived as it was superficial, has been replaced by a new appeal that is no less so. So what’s the point of adding another book to the pile? If not by attempting to approach this vast subject from an unusual and original angle.

This essay is neither an encyclopaedia of Art Nouveau, listing its protagonists, nor an art history book describing its forms, details or the symbolism of its ornamentation. It attempts to identify the conditions of its emergence, its socio-economic context, the ideals of its protagonists – architects and craftsmen of singular expression – its profound nature and its significance in the history of architecture. This is done through a lively narrative, illustrated with its most famous achievements in a number of European cities, with a particular focus on Belgium and Brussels.