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EnglishArt Nouveau vs Art Deco: how to tell them apart
- Birth of Art Nouveau: a product of the Belle Époque (1890-1914), the movement emerged in the last decade of the 19th century and its influence lasted until the end of the first decade of the 20th century in Europe.
- Roots: it draws on the British Arts and Crafts movement led by William Morris, in reaction to worn-out classical models, the grandeur of the Beaux-Arts and industrial society.
- Spread: the first architectural examples appeared in Belgium, with Paris becoming the main centre of a movement that spread quickly across Europe.
- Differences in style: Art Nouveau is recognisable by its curves, asymmetry and geometric shapes with rounded outlines, based on fluidity and movement. Art Deco, which followed it, favours straight lines, angles and stronger symmetry.
- Key point: Catalonia is the Iberian birthplace of Art Nouveau, in the form of Catalan modernisme, developed in Barcelona in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch and Antoni Gaudí.
So where does Art Nouveau come from?
Birth of the movement
A pure product of the Belle Époque (1890-1914), it emerged in the last decade of the 19th century, and its influence lasted until the end of the first decade of the 20th century across Europe.
Its roots are in the United Kingdom, in the Arts and Crafts movement led by the artist and designer William Morris. Art Nouveau emerged in reaction both to worn-out classical models and the grandeur of the Beaux-Arts, and to industrial society.
Spread across Europe
The first architectural examples appeared in Belgium, although Paris was the main centre of a movement that spread quickly across most of Europe. Not sure what it looks like? Here is a very well-known example of Art Nouveau:
The differences between Art Nouveau and Art Deco
Features of Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is characterised by curves and asymmetry. Its essence lies in agility, fluidity and the movement created by geometric shapes with rounded outlines.
Features of Art Deco
Art Deco is defined more by geometric shapes with straight lines and angles. Although it came after Art Nouveau, this artistic movement shows much more symmetry.
Catalan modernisme
Barcelona
Catalonia is without doubt the Iberian birthplace of Art Nouveau. The movement's characteristic style can be seen in particular in Barcelona, where many buildings show the influence of this architectural trend's free, flowing inspiration.
The Catalan touch
Born of the industrial revolution and the technological progress that followed, the architectural movement developed especially in the Catalan capital in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was led by geniuses such as Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch and Antoni Gaudí.
If you are planning a purchase or sale in the beautiful region of Catalonia, feel free to contact our local office, or book a meeting directly at our Barcelona office. Better still: if you are looking for a property in Spain inspired by Art Deco or Art Nouveau, our experts will help you with your search!
Thomas Rouer is the founder of Alveo Search and the CEO of the Alveo group. Based in Spain for almost ten years, he develops property services designed for the specific needs of foreign buyers.
His expertise covers every aspect of buying property in Spain: understanding the market, searching for and selecting properties, negotiation, financing, paperwork, tax and securing the purchase process.
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