Goddesses of art nouveau

About this book

The Allard Pierson, in partnership with two museums in Germany, is compiling an exhibition about the international art nouveau movement. Key features of this style, which held sway throughout Europe from 1890 to 1910, are flowing lines and floral motifs. Another characteristic is the frequent depiction of beautiful females. Many of them are divine figures taken from classical antiquity, Byzantine icons, medieval legends and contemporary muses. In 'Goddesses of Art Nouveau' this fascination for female beauty is examined more closely in the context of the social developments of the period. What is particularly striking is that the women, with their luxuriant hair and transparent robes, not only looked like goddesses but also functioned as such. Almost invariably they symbolized something larger than themselves, lending designs a symbolic meaning and often embodying higher ideals, human feelings or timeless virtues. The exhibition and catalogue feature not only goddesses but also nymphs, angels and fairies in jewels, sculptures, drawings, magazines and advertising material, and on all sorts of decorative objects made of silver, glass or ceramics. Exhibition: Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (23.10.2020-21.03.2021)