The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 03, 1979, Page Page 11, Image 11
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For those of you who follow this
column with some regularity, you
will hopefully recall the article
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aeaiing wun uie iwo rreRaphaelite
paintings by Evelyn de
Morgan we discussed some weeks :
back. In this discussion, one point I
hoped to express was the fact that
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virtually excluded from the
general context of art history. The
subject of today's verbalization,
Art Nouveau, also shares this
dubious twist of fate, although for
slightly different reasons.
H.W. Janson's History of Art, a
standard text utilized for a number
of years in art history instruction,
makes no mention whatsoever of
the Pre-Raphaelites, and only
briefly mentions Art Nouveau in
the context of architecture. One
might assume from this that the
movements were just too small or
short-lived to be given consideration,
yet this is not the case.
The Pre-Raphaelistes were a
relatively large group of painters,
and Art Nouveau employed a vast
array of printmakers, sculptors
and craftsmen alike. Nor can their
exclusion be attributed to a lack of
public favor, in fact, both were
greeted with considerable popular
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praise anu support, so wnai couiu
possibly be the reason for such
imposed historical obsurdity?
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In an art historical sense, the
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evaluated simply in terms of its
contribution to the overall
evolution of the aesthetic image.
By this I mean that both PreRaphaelitism
and Art Nouveau are
considered regressive in form and
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time they happened. Art Nouveau
has also been saddled with the
additional stigma of simply being a
"decorative art", thus unworthy
for consideration in a "high art"
context. If all of this sounds like
scholarly double-talk, don't feel
alone, I too have often wondered
how history can neglect that which
doesn't "fit the pattern" of
development.
In any event, both of these styles
have endured in spite of such
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and as lively today as when they
were first produced.
Art Nouveau, like PreRaphaelitism,
also share
numerous other similarities aside
from historical banishment and
nonular anneal. Both strove for a
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strong sense of visual order, for
harmony and elegance, and both
saw art as possessive of social
significance. This explains Art
Nouveau's venture into the
decorative, for these artists
believed that all objects should be
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treated with the same sensibilities
one utilizes in the fine arts.
Art Nouveau is primarily a
French movement, and flourished
in the 1890's and early 1900's. It
was influenced by a variety of
social changes, primarily the
industrial revolution, which was
viewed at first as a threat to the
individuality of the arts. Artists
survived the transition to industrialization,
and quickly
learned to utilize its technology in
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sculptures and a variety of
other household items re-defined
towards more aesthetic concerns.
The collection of Art Nouveau
that is currently on display at the
Columbia Museum of Art, features
examples of the many
manifestation the style adapted
itself to. From beautifully
sculptural dancers that often
double as table lights, (as in Raoul
Larche's "Loie Fuller"), to the
brilliant lithographs of Alphonse
Mucha.
The basic motif of Art Nouveau
is a flowing organic form that
winds its way into virtually every
aspect the style consumed. Louis
Maiorelle's mahoeanv desk is
trimmed in vines that reappear as
water-lily handles on the drawers.
Art Nouveau is on loan from the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in
Richmond, and comprises the
entire Sydney and Frances Lewis
Collection, considered one of the
country's finest. The show wll
continue through October 28.
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