Art Nouveau was an international art movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by flowing, organic lines, nature-inspired forms, and graceful, feminine design. Celebrating craftsmanship and unity across the decorative arts, it influenced architecture, furniture, jewelry, glass, and graphic design.

Hôtel Tassel, designed by Belgian architect Victor Horta and completed in 1893 in Brussels, is widely regarded as the first true Art Nouveau building. Its flowing, organic lines, nature-inspired ornamentation, and unified interior and architectural design helped define the movement and profoundly influenced the development of Art Nouveau throughout Europe.

Hôtel Tassel

The most celebrated figures of the Art Nouveau movement include illustrator Alphonse Mucha, painter Gustav Klimt, architects Antoni Gaudí and Victor Horta, and designers Louis Comfort Tiffany and René Lalique, whose innovative works helped define the movement across painting, architecture, glass, jewelry, and the decorative arts.

Alphonse Mucha