Art Nouveau, used here as a broad term for the period between 1880
and 1920, encompasses a range of styles that complement each other.
In terms of typefaces, Art Nouveau typography is represented primarily
by floral, organic forms that are plantlike in shape and detail. Pronounced
modulation in strokes, often tapering from capline to baseline, as well
as bulbous, stylized serif endings, integrate with sinuous curves and
broad, heavier weights to create a sensuous movement among letters.
Hybrid serif/sans serif forms allude to the transition between the centuries,
referring to early modernist styles such as Arts & Crafts and Jugendstil.
Additionally, early grotesk sans serifs that still retain a sense of their
origins in brush drawing may be counted among Art Nouveau styles.
Unlike later sans serifs of the Machine Age, these typefaces tend to be
more condensed overall, with smaller x-heights than their later counter-
parts, and exhibit a noticeable contrast between thick and thin strokes.
Some decorative elements, such as swash forms or exaggerated legs, tails,
and bowls—in the R, Q, and lowercase g respectively—contribute to the
flowing quality of Art Nouveau type style.
Segueing from the Victorian era’s bitty ornamentation into the first
phases of modernism, Art Nouveau celebrated the natural and organic
while paving the way for the rational aesthetic of the early twentieth
century. These two seemingly opposing visual languages inform the
Art Nouveau era’s typography and color.
Publication Cover top, and
details, middle and bottom
The Pushpin Group, Inc.
Seymour Chwast
New York City USA
Art
Nouveau
Time
+
Context
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(Provision) Type Style Finder
L805.130 / 4108
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