Wall Panelling Corporation Showroom

• home
• about us
• catalogue
• colonial designs
• history of colonial furniture
• contact us

L’Art Nouveau Influence On Early American Colonial Furniture StyleHistory of Early American Colonial Furniture

We have deemed it convenient to deal in this chapter with continental productions classified as Art Nouveau, reserving our next chapter for a consideration of British and early American colonial furniture expressions of the style. Of This has become necessary because designers in this country have struck out a line quite distinct from the continental, having characteristics of its own. Hence we give to native designs in this style the name of New Art as a denomination appropriately distinguishing them from their French, German and Italian cousins.

A good deal of somewhat flippant criticism has been urged against L’Art Nouveau by some people in high places who should have known better. Thus one eminent artist has characterised the style as an " ebullition of crazy incompetency . . . the outcome of degeneracy. . the mud mountain of rubbish daily and yearly heaped up by the incompetent, social, amateur ass, who mistakes the praise of his fellow incompetents for his supply of new sensations to his equally diseased patrons, L’Art Nouveau, forsooth ! Absolute nonsense l It belong to the young lady's seminary and the 'duffer's' paradise”(Mr. Alfred Gilbert, R.A., in the Magazine of Art). Inthe same journal Mr. George Frampton, R.A., says: “I do not exactly know what it means. I believe is made on the continent and used by parents and others to frighten naughty children."

Apart from the unnecessarily violent language of Mr. Gilbert, language that naturally robs his opinion of what critical value it might otherwise have possessed, and the feeble humour of Mr. Frampton, there are many people whose impatience with L’Art Nouveau, if less emphatically expressed, is none the less real. The fact is that the style is one peculiarly liable to abuse, and the critics have to often formed general conclusions from an observation of particularly bizarre pieces. The real Art Nouveau has too much of true beauty to be dismissed by reason of some unbeautiful productions labelled with that name.

What is L Art Nouveau in early American colonial furniture? We will attempt an answer to that question as briefly as possible.

In every progressive age there is more or less artistic restlessness, and the modern spirit of aestheticism found expression in France, and subsequently in other country in other countries on the continent in this new and sometimes weird style.  Its peculiar features may be indicated in a few sentences. Very noticeable is the absence of straight line except were they are absolutely necessary. In many typical art nouveau pieces indeed it would be difficult to find straight lines anywhere. Curves, bold and sweeping, sometimes tortuous, are essential. Orthodox canons of construction are cast to the winds; regular rules are abandoned and apparently a course is adopted in the production of designs the exact opposite of thatwhich necessitated geometrical calculation and an unswerving devotion to scale. We say apparently this isso because a closer examination of Art Nouveau early American colonial furniture quickly reveals the fact that the easy nonchalance is in reality effected by careful studiousness, and carelessness is but on the surface.

The decoration employed is, like the outlines permitted, bold and unconventional. Inlaying is frequently adopted and executed with the greatest skill, often recalling the work of some of the past-masters in the art of marquetry. Occasionally florid and gross departures are evidenced reminding us forcibly--boo forcibly---of the rococo of Louis Quinze. But these must be regarded as an “abuse of liberty," and above and beyond all mere eccentricities or unworthy reversions to decadent types, l’Art Nouveau presents features of attraction and originality certain, if anything is certain in early American colonial furniture designing, to win for its best forms a permanence only achieved by real art.

Since the Empire style in early American colonial furniture French and American craftsmen have, in common perhaps with their brothers of other nationalities, produced nothing of note (except along old lines) until the birth of l’Art Nouveau. The date of this interesting event cannot with definiteness be fixed, but the work of what has been called the Secessionist school may con­fidently be limited, to the last twenty years at the outside. It will be seen, therefore, that its progress has been extra­ordinary, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is the dominant note in decorative schemes on the continent today. Art metal work in this style, of great beauty of outline, meets the eye everywhere, and in Paris the principal shop fronts are already very generally fashioned in the popular mode. , Apart from reproductions of classic styles, for which an increasing and regular demand is always to be counted upon, practically nothing else is now made, except, of course, in the cheaper grades.

But l'Art Nouveau is not what it was a few years ago. There is a noticeable absence of the extreme many of which were not inappropriately describe as " rampant hooliganism of art." Such have disappeared or at any rate are no longer to be found in the work of craftsmen of repute. The productions have taken a chastened form, truly artistic, but properly describable by no other term than l'Art Nouveau design in early American colonial furniture.

Our view is that this style has undergone a gradual evolution-a process of natural selection has been at work, and we are now witnessing the result in the of survival the fittest. We further venture the opinion that l’Art Nouveau is not so much a style in itself as a method of treatment, a mode of expression, and any style can be treated in the Art Nouveau manner. The “hooliganism” in l'Art Nouveau is easily explained. When the idea was new, and whilst yet the artist was feeling his way with was care, the mediocre, with the impulsiveness of true mediocrity, rushed ahead and brought forth wild and impossible production which called out upon them, and justly, the ridicule and impatient condemnation of the casual observer. But meantime the artist was still at work, and it is this undercurrent that is really representative of the true spirit of L art Nouveau, and at present time the new movement is establishing itself upon sure foundation of the beautiful. We therefore protest against the hasty criticism that reckons only with a part of the facts of the case, ignoring the best and seeing only the unworthy. Many of the critics will yet the error of their ways, and live to bow before of l'Art Nouveau as a modern chastening influence, the Zeitgeist come to carry the art of former days to a higher level.

We have said that any early American colonial furniture style may be expressed in l’Art Nouveau methods. We have seen it in Paris applied refined Louis XV in the regime of Madame de pompadour.

We have seen many Louis designs, which are really Louis, treated in 1'Art Nouveau manner. Perhaps this inspiration - for inspiration it assuredly is - is one presenting great possibilities in this country. Perhaps we have here a suggestion that may lead to the final answer of the oft asked question, " Has it come to stay? "

The origin of the Art Nouveau in early American colonial furniture movement is not beyond dispute. Some say it really originated in this country, that the suggestion was caught up on the continent, developed (distorted, say the critics) and sent back in such forms that it was beyond recognition. It may be so, but it is much more likely that similar strivings after the new in art were going on independently in many countries. The British results we discuss in our next chapter. L'Art Nouveau as we understand it, owes but little to the influence of British designers. It is essentially a product of foreign genius and finds its home in France, Germany, Austria and Italy. Sufficient evidence in support of this contention may be found in the examination of some of our illustrations, depicting articles that could only have been designed by foreigners. Their boldness and unconventionality are not British in any sense, and these features rapidly disappear in British reproductions in the mode.

Of all the unjust criticism perhaps the least accurate is the one that attributes " slavish imitation" to the Art Nouveau designers in early American colonial furniture, for it is above all things a free style. Indeed, it is this very freedom that has led to production of the horrible, for there are always those with whom liberty will degenerate into license. But the absolute freedom from all restraint that is permissible to the designer of Art Nouveau furniture offers the greatest temptation to the artist to express himself with originality. Imitation is much more natural where a particular style is to be correctly depicted. With LArt Nouveau there is no correctness-beauty is its one canon, and if the creation is beautiful no one has a right to demand more of it.

L'Art Nouveau in early American colonial furniture has decidedly come to stay, but it can hardly become popular (in the ordinary acceptation of that term) because the nature of its design such as to prohibit cheap reproduction. The high prices asked for some of the beautiful pieces in this style are not altogether due to novelty, or even to the employment of expensive designers, but to the actual cost of the material used and the workmanship necessitated. Where at every point, the manufacturer meets with difficult curves and eccentric lines; where duplication is impossible and the skilled workman is needed for every detail ; where the machine is useless and the apprentice worse than useless; where expensive inlaying is employed in almost prodigal profusion ; where, in short, constructive difficulties abound and the most costly material has to be extravagantly cut up, cheapness is out of the question. It is thus certain that the more elaborate expression of the Art Nouveau style must always remain the possessions of the comparatively wealthy. In its simpler forms, however, its graceful outlines will probably increase and multiply. The end is not yet. The progressive movement is still going on, and out of all the strife will come some­thing better than we have yet seen in this direction, as, we believe, any one who carefully studies the Art Nouveau of the last five years will readily admit.

We are able to present a large number of illustrations of articles of furniture in this style, some good and some the reverse. We have thought well to reproduce some designs for the sole purpose of showing "how not to do it." In this category we may fairly include some of the chairs exhibited at the Diisseldorf Exhibition (1902), and according to the individual taste the line will be drawn, excluding some of the other pieces illustrated from the "possible " in l'Art Nouveau. We do not forget that it has been urged against Germany that some of the worst designs were perpetrated there. One recent writer on l'Art Nouveau says : "To the German, of course it was a godsend. The modern German artist has not been conspicuous for originality, but here he found his chance freeing himself from the reproach of dullness he had but to throw the reins on the neck of his Rosinante and find himself in the first flight of l'Art Nouveau. There is no such outrageous person as the respectable bourgeois on the loose ; and the German having once broken away in design of early American colonial furniture, appears to be fairly wallowing in orgies of intemperance."

Again are we disposed to protest that general conclusions must not be so readily drawn from particular instances. The "wallowing in orgies of intemperance” has not always been confined to the Art Nouveau designer. The expression might with greater justice be applied some of his critics. At the same time it must be admitted that such designs as, for instance, the chairs reproduced on page 141, are calculated to call forth ridicule. But little can be said in defence of such grotesque specimens in early American colonial furniture. They present no graceful lines, and the obtrusive sug­gestion of " bandiness " is not pleasing. We had the opportunity of closely examining the originals at the Diisseldorf Exhibition (1902) but there is only one good quality we can ascribe to them, and that is that we found them very strong.

 That there is likely to be any further development in this somewhat objectionable direction we do not believe. Indeed, it is pretty apparent that the speculative wildness and irresponsible daring manifested in such designs as these Diisseldorf chairs has even already met with a reception so chilling as to discourage designers from experimenting any further on similar lines. The most outrageous forms of art, or the most flagrant offences against all art's recognised canons, may with a tolerable degree of certainty, count upon a measure of support from the uncritical and those devoid of the artistic sense, of whom there are sufficient numbers to impecunious genius to exploit "fresh fields and pastures new." Is this not true in all branches of art? Is the painter exempt from the seductive influence of the wealthy patron without taste, who will purchase anything  " extreme," in the belief that by so doing he is ­  acquiring a treasure the like of which is possessed by no one else? But the triumph of ignorance is temporary, and I’ Art Nouveau in early American colonial furniture has advanced beyond that stage. The forms in this style that are to endure go not that way.

In this particular, early American colonial furniture is to be subjected to a severer test than, say, pictures. An extra ordinary horrible or a grotesque painting may well, and give satisfaction, and often does, give satisfaction, where an extraordinary, horrible or grotesque piece of furniture would be promptly discarded. If our furniture was made for the purpose of being looked at periodically for a brief moment, the conditions would be altered. As it is, we demand that furniture shall satisfy us at all times, in season and out of season the "hooligan" design that attracted our attention at an exhibition and called a smile to our lips-nay even that excited our admiration, would not be suited to the daily inspection and familiar use to which we subject our chosen furniture. And as the inexorable law of supply and demand reaches even into the world of art, the supply of bizarre designs may not unnaturally be expected diminish to the disappearing point. Only that furniture will endure that has the power not only to please our artistic sense at the moment, but that possesses the necessary qualities to enable it to be to us as our daily bread.

It must not become obnoxious by reason of constant use.

We have included in this chapter some designs in Art Nouveau metal work, partly because the style is one lending itself with particular appropriateness to treatment in metal, and partly because the illustrations given bear very closely upon furniture itself. The metal embellishments of Art Nouveau furniture are a feature of the mode, and as indicating the lines upon which continental artists are working our drawings will be very interesting.

Apart from wild exaggerations and the merely; eccentric however, no one with artistic eye could examine all our illustrations and fail to find the note of real beauty strongly represented. There is a graceful freedom writ large on the style that is more than charming. If its more extreme designs cause us uneasiness, its restrained and chastened expressions give us real pleasure. The style has, through much tribulation, overcome many of its youthful follies, has sown its wild oats. It is no longer endangered by mere ridicule or abuse, and one does not need much prophetic boldness to foretell for it a great artistic future. The best men on the continent and Americas on early American colonial furniture are at work upon it. They may be trusted to develop a style the beauty of which shall entitle it to rank daintiest of furniture of any previous period.