An international style of art, architecture and applied art, especially the decorative arts, Art Nouveau will be the subject of a lecture being held this evening by DFAS in Malta.
Most popular between 1890 and 1910, as a reaction to the academic and historic art of the 19th century, Art Nouveau was inspired by natural forms and structures, particularly the curved lines of plants and flowers.
Art Nouveau is considered a total art style, embracing not only the fine arts, but also architecture and street furniture design – one of the most popular examples is the Paris metro entrance gate.
New technologies in printing and publishing allowed Art Nouveau to quickly reach a global audience. Art magazines, illustrated with photographs and colour lithographs, allowed the style to spread rapidly to all corners of Europe and the United States.
Posters became not just advertising, but an art form. Artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Cheret and Alphonse Mucha achieved international celebrity status.
The lecture is being delivered by Anne Anderson, a NADFAS lecturer since 1993 and a specialist in the aesthetic movement, arts and crafts, art nouveau and modernism.
She is currently an honorary research fellow at Exeter University.
■ The lecture will be held at Le Meridien St Julian’s Hotel at 6.30pm and is open to DFAS in Malta members and guests against a fee.