Art nouveau and Jugendstil

French and German names for a new style around 1900. Especially art nouveau has evolved from decorative and applied art. Samuel Bing opened his art shop "Salon de l'Art Nouveau" in Paris in 1895. The German name is derived from the magazine Die Jugend, edited in Munchen since 1896. In Britain the names art nouveau, modern style or Liberty style are use, after the firm Liberty and Co. te Londen; in Italy Stile Liberty or Stile Floreale, in Austria Sezessionstil, after the Vienese group Sezession. The style is characterised by asymmetry and extravagant, elegant lines. Especially the whiplash motive is very popular. It can be seen as a reaction to emerging mass production, which in the eyes of the supporters had taken away all beauty from objects. When objects were again based on nature, then beauty could again be a part of life. But only when it was applied in all artistic disciplines. In architecture the apllication of iron gave new possiblities for designs of stairwells, facades and balconies. The architects often were also interiour designers. Changes in social and economical conditions after World War I brought Jugendstil to an end. In the Netherlands Art Nouveau has seen many forms. The geometrically oriented constructive-rational-social line is mainly found in Amsterdam around Berlage, while the more graceful elegant-artistic-pragmatic line can be placed  in Den Haag (The Hague) and Rotterdam. In Rotterdam the most striking building in this style is the  Witte Huis (White House) on the   Wijnhaven (1897-1898) by Molenbroek. Other fine examples are club house of the Roevereniging "de Maas" and the offices of Van Uden shipping on Veerhaven. Also in the district of  Kralingen, most of them on  Avenue Concordia and Voorschoterlaan a number of Art Nouveau houses can be found.   back