Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau was invented by Henry Van de Velde and Victor Horta, which was originally called le style Belge. This style is a decorative-arts, architecture and graphic-arts, that spread across Europe rapidly. Art Nouveau was intended to renovating the design, striving to breakout the extensive historical styles that had previously been popular. The designers developed classic designs such as integrated  graceful arabesques, geometric and natural forms, undulating, organic lines, twisting tendrils and flowers, and also voluptuous female forms. This style involves no symmetry.

Artists always took their designs from nature and then stylized them. This style was generally portrayed with colours such as subdued browns, greens, blues and yellows. The artists strived to raise the status of the decorative arts so much so that they used the movement’s guiding principle, “Decorative art should be everywhere”.  Art Nouveau was often most conspicuous at international expositions during its climax. The style was dominant in time of the decorative arts and architecture exhibition.

The most prominent people in Art Nouveau were:

Henry Van de Valde

Main building of Bauhaus University (1904)

Victor Horta

Tassel House Stairway (1894)

Hector Guimard

Entrances to Paris Subway Stations (1900)

Émile Gallé

Cameo glass vase (1890-1900)

Louis Comfort Tiffany

Pastoral window at Second Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Illinois (1917)

Model #342, “Wisteria” Lamp (ca. 1901-05) by Clara Driscoll for Tiffany Studios, New York

Wisteria Lamp

Some of the most prominent Art Nouveau articles are the table lamps manufactured by Louis Comfort Tiffany's firm. One of the most valuable is model #342 which is also known as “Wisteria”. The bronze base is similar to the roots and lower trunk of a tree. The shade is of leaded glass that seem like the boughs of a wisteria. These suspend the flowering petals that seem to drip like drops of water  whose screen creates a warm soft glow. The asymmetry of the armature at the crown across the edge at the bottom of the shade adds to the naturalism of the design.

Lombard Bank branch in Tower Road, Sliema by Giuseppe Psaila (1914)  

The right side of the premises

The left side of the premises

The building with stunning Art Nouveau motifs and classical elements was given a new lease of life when Lombard Bank transformed it into a branch after it had been abandoned for a long period of time. No modern extension was done externally to the building. Only modern limited interventions were done to the interior.

The premises has decorative pilasters. It incorporates markings and sculpted leaves on its facade. The fence features a spiral like motif which is similar to vine tendrils. The windows also have these flowing and twisting lines. The premises isn’t symmetrical too.

Balluta Buildings in San Ġiljan, Malta by Giuseppe Psaila (1928)

The edifice

The first block of the edifice

Gate in the middle of the edifice

This edifice is one of the few remaining buildings constructed in the Art Nouveau style. The central facade of the building comprises of a colossal block of apartments set within three blocks. The words Balluta, Buildings and  AD MCMXXVIII embellish the architrave beneath central pediments of each perpendicular structure. Each of these structures is distinguished by an elongated upright opening headed with a floral decorated arch with a putto carved on the keystone. There is also decorated pilasters running vertically along the facade. The two upper levels windows are grouped in pairs and joined by floral decorated architrave and are framed by decorative surrounds. Those on the lower levels are further enhanced by a decorative balustraded wall. The gate and railings have fascinating ironwork with twisting tendrils.

References

Research:

Jesse Bryant Wilder (2007). Art History For Dummies. New Jersey- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Justin Wolf and Peter Clericuzio. Art Nouveau Movement Overview and Analysis. The Art Story. [online]  Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-art-nouveau.htm [Accessed 5 March 2017]

Justin Wolf and Peter Clericuzio. Art Nouveau Movement Overview and Analysis. The Art Story. [online] Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-art-nouveau-artworks.htm#pnt_2 [Accessed 5 March 2017]

Malta: Sovrintendenza Tal- Patrimonju Kulturali (28 December 2012). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands- Balluta Buildings [pdf]. Available at: http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/01212.pdf [Accessed 5 March 2017]

NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR ART NOUVEAU BUILDING. Malta Environment & Planning Authority. [online] Newsletter 35. Available at: https://www.mepa.org.mt/newslet35-article4?l=1 [Accessed 5 March 2017]

Images:

Justin Wolf and Peter Clericuzio. Art Nouveau Movement Overview and Analysis. The Art Story. [online]  Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-art-nouveau.htm [Accessed 5 March 2017]

Sam Parker (18 October 2016). Victor Horta: Belgium's Greatest Art Nouveau Architect. [online] The Culture Trip. Available at: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/victor-horta-belgiums-greatest-art-nouveau-architect/ [Accessed 5 March 2017]

Frances J. Folsom (4 June 2014). Art Nouveau Architect Henry van de Velde. [online] Dwell. Available at: https://www.dwell.com/article/art-nouveau-architect-henry-van-de-velde-e93e8c31 [Accessed 5 March 2017]

Sailko (11 March 2009). Cameo glass vase by Émile Gallé. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Gall%C3%A9#/media/File:Gall%C3%A9,_nancy,_vaso_clematis,_1890-1900.JPG [Accessed 5 March 2017]

Prairieavenue (4 January 2012). Pastoral window at Second Presbyterian Church (Chicago, Illinois). [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Comfort_Tiffany#/media/File:Pastoral_Window.jpg [Accessed 5 March 2017]

All pictures of the Balluta Buildings in San Ġiljan, Malta by Giuseppe Psaila (1928) and Lombard Bank branch in Tower Road, Sliema by Giuseppe Psaila (1914), were taken by me on 5 March 2017.