From the turn of the century, the Art Nouveau style quickly spread to become an international movement affecting all the arts, including the decorative arts and design. In the decorative arts, it led, among others, to the production of all manner of colorful tiles, executed in flowing, organic designs. This is the first book to examine Art Nouveau tiles from all over Europe as well as the United States.
The book traces the roots of Art Nouveau to the British Arts and Crafts movement, which produced tiles work by such artists as William Morris, William de Morgan and Christopher Dresser. Following this, the wide variety of Art Nouveau tiles across northern and Central Europe are surveyed in detail: in Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Separate chapters are also devoted to Spain and Portugal, and the United States. To conclude their survey, the authors look at how elements of Art Nouveau were absorbed into Art Deco after World War I and how Art Nouveau steles of tile-making have been revived in the 1980s and 1990s. A final chapter gives useful advice to the collector of Art Nouveau tiles, suggesting ways of organizing, restoring and preserving them.
The wide-ranging and authoritative text, coupled with the beautiful full-color illustrations, make this an invaluable work for those interest in tiles, interior design and the decorative arts.
Price: $32.50
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