Art Deco, prevalent from 1910 to 1939, embodied luxury and modernity, emerging as a response to the aftermath of World War I and shaping various aspects of culture, including architecture, fashion, and design. It drew influences from a mix of global cultures and was characterized by clean lines, geometric shapes, and mass production, contrasting with the organic forms of Art Nouveau. The movement culminated in major worldwide exhibitions, reflecting societal changes while promoting a blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary materials.

1. Art Deco
1910-1939

2. Art Deco reached its peak between the two world wars.
Spanning the boom of the roaring Twenties and the bust of
the Depression-ridden 1930’s, Art Deco came to epitomise all
the glamour, luxury and hedonism of the Jazz Age and the age
of Swing.
It was the style of the Flapper girl, the Charleston, the
luxury ocean liner, the Hollywood film and the Skyscraper.
Raymond Hood, American Radiator
Building, N.Y. 1924
Natalia Goncharova
(Russian) dress
Silk applique. French,
1924-6
Cassandre, Nord Express
1927

3. Willliam Van Alen,
Chrysler Building,
New York, 1928-30
Modernism was a movement
which was born out of the
shock that both the United
States and Europe felt at the
end of the First World War.
The brutality and destruction
of that conflict left society
with a real desire to make
things better for everyone.
Idealistic.

4. 1918-1939 was a very distinct but
extremely contradictory period – an
age of terrible economic depression
and yet one of feverish youthful
vitality which tried to ignore what in
retrospect seems obvious; the coming
of the second world war.
Art Deco burst onto the world stage
during the Exposition internationale
des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels
modernes, in Paris 1925 and quickly
swept across the globe.
Its influence was everywhere: it
transformed the skylines of cities
from New York to Shanghai and shaped
the design of everything from
fashionable evening wear to plastic
radios.
Above all it became the style of the
pleasure palaces of the age – hotels,
cocktail bars, night-clubs and cinemas.
Bakelite 5 valve Radio
Italian, 1940
Foyer of the Daily Express building, London,1932

5. Hoover factory, London (1932-35)
Art Deco Diner, Miami,1935
Follies Bergiers, Paris
ARCHITECTURE
Architecture

6. Dominion Cinema,
Morningside
Odeon, Clerk Street
White House pub, Craigmillar
Examples of
Art Deco
Buildings
in Edinburgh!
Maybury Casino (originally a diner)
ARCHITECTURE
Architecture

7. The uncovering in Egypt of the tomb of
Tutankhamun in 1922 left its mark on all walks
of life. Offices, factories and cinemas showed
the Egyptian influence. It also encouraged
woman to wear copies of grave goods from the
pharaoh’s tomb. The designers followed two
rules- they made no attempt to translate any
of the religious of symbolic meanings, and not
hesitate in modifying the design by adding
motifs or materials from entirely different
cultures
These elevator doors of the
Chrysler Building are
decorated with stylized
papyrus motif decor
John Storrs (American, 1885-
1956).
Scarab Pectoral, from the Tomb of
Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings at
Thebes, c. 1361-52 BC

8. Though it originated in one off
masterworks or limited edition pieces,
Art Deco became synonymous with
mass consumption and modernity, and
was enthusiastically embraced by taste
makers all over the globe, among them
Josephine Baker, F.Scott Fitzgerald
and the Maharajah of Indore.
Deco was an essentially eclectic style.
It drew from European craft
traditions as well as from the exotic
cultures of Ancient Egypt, Meso-
America, East Asia and Africa.
Its use of unashamedly precious
materials was a reminder of the wealth
of empires, whilst its streamlined and
geometric imagery celebrated the
machine age and the exuberance of the
contemporary world.
Canopy Bed. Silver-covered wood. Indian, 1922
Product Design

9. Bakelite
Although aluminium, chrome, stainless steel and
other metal
Hybrids were the keynotes of the streamlined era,
it was a far humbler material that brought about
the biggest revolution in commercial mass-
production. Synthetic plastics and earlier Bakelite
allowed streamlined forms to take the shape of
radios, Telephones, and other household goods. We
take these plastic goods for granted today but they
only became widespread in the 1920s and 30s
Product Design

10. In their way the innumerable
Art Deco cups and saucers,
plates, teapots and cigarette
lighters, with their clean
colours and clear designs,
affordable by almost
everyone, mirrored the
cheerful optimism and gave a
boost to those beset by
increasing problems - The
Great Depression, the Wall
Street Crash, the rise of
Fascism.
Industrialisation and
marketing could produce and
sell in quantity and cheaply.
In the USA, the Sears
Roebuck mail order
catalogue was a hugely
successful example.
Product Design

11. Erik Magnussen (born Denmark), Cubic coffee service, or ‘The Lights and Shadows of
Manhattan’, Silver, silver gilt and oxidised silver, American, 1927
Product Design

12. Jean Puiforcat, Clock- nickel
plated bronze and white marble,
French 1932
Jean Goulden, Clock,
Silvered bronze with enamel,
French, 1928
Product Design

13. Christian Fjerdingstad (Danish),
‘Gigogne’ Coffee pot, creamer
and sugar, Silver, 1926
Luciano Baldessari,
Luminator, Standing Lamp,
Chrome plated steel, Italian, 1929
Product Design

14. E. McKnight Kauffer, Metropolis, 1926
A.M Cassandre,
Nord Express, 1927
Graphic Design

15. Tom Purvis, Harrogate: The British Spa,
poster, colour lithograph, British, c 1928
Graphic Design

17. It was also a period of great
vitality and change in the fine
arts. The experiments of
Picasso and Braque leading to
cubism, set up ripples that
ran through Cubism to the
Futurists in Italy, the
Vorticists in England, to de
Styl in Holland and
Constructivism in the USSR.
To be ahead of one’s time,
pushing forward, was to be a
modernist.
In the profusion of rapidly
changing “isms” there was a
common tendency towards
abstraction. This was of basic
significance to Art Deco and
helped to unify the various
directions within the style.
Tamara de Lempika (born in
Poland)- Jeune fille en vert.
1927
Braque- ‘Houses at
La Estaque 1909

18. Art Nouveau was of central importance to the
rise of Art Deco, if only as a style against which
to react. Art Nouveau had relied on natural,
particularly botanical motifs. Art Deco turned
away from the sinuous quality to sharper
abstraction and independent colour.
Where nature was used, animals were preferred,
although female form continued to play a large role.
Art Deco upheld the importance of craftsmanship
but also benefited from mass production.
Objects could be made with expensive, rare
materials but copied in cheap alternatives in great
numbers.
Marcello Dudovich-Poster. Colour
lithograph. 1934
Alphonse Mucha, Job.
Colour Lithograph,
Czech,1897
Graphic Design

19. Picasso- ‘Les Demoiselles de
Avignon’ ,1907
Many artists- again Picasso above all,
were looking at primitive art. Museums
were rediscovering their examples and
displaying them for all to see.

20. Cartier, pylon pendant. Diamonds
and onyx in open-back platinum
setting. French,1913
Auguste Bonaz, necklace.
Galalith. French 1930’s

21. Edward McKnight Kauffer,
book jacket for The Bleston
Mystery, London. Colour
lineblock. 1928

22. Dressing Table and bench, red lacquered wood, glass
and chromium plated metal. American c.1929

23. The style spread rapidly
though every aspect of
daily life –e.g. in the
appearance of cinemas,
radios, cars etc. Where
Art Nouveau had been
complicated, Art Deco
was clear and pure. It
could be light hearted or
strictly serious. A style
in a time of
unprecedented change, it
was flexible enough to
perfect that change.
Art Deco was the first
truly 20th Century style –
it was international-
could be adapted to any
manmade object – was
not governed by cost –
arrived when new
technology enabled
rapid, wide spread
communication.
Paul Fuller, jukebox, model 1015,
American, 1946. Made by Wurlitzer

24. Claudette Colbert wearing Egyptian head
dress, bracelet and ring in Cleopatra,
directed by Cecil B. De Mille, 1934

25. Art Deco
This paved the way for a
fundamental change in female
dress in 1910. With the beginnings
of the Art Deco movement.
Influenced by the Russian Ballet
and Paul Poiret’s designs, which had
a strong Oriental influence
because of the production of
Scheherazade the costumes for
which were designed by Russian
born Leon Bakst.
The costumes were unrestrained,
fluid and the colours were striking,
garish and society adopted them
with enthusiasm. The old pale pinks
and ‘swooning mauves’ were swept
away; the rigid bodices and bell
shaped skirts were abandoned in
favour of
soft drapery.

26. Skirts became narrow at
the hem and in 1910 they
became so narrow the
hobble skirt was the
outcome. The hobble skirt
made it difficult for a
woman to take a step of
more than 2 or 3 inches.
It was a strange idea as
at that time the
suffragette
demonstrations were
taking place and it seemed
that woman were enslaving
themselves in this type of
dress.
Harem trousers also were
seen at this time but
these created such a
sensation that only the
most daring women
persisted in wearing them.

27. Fashion designers prospered with
many working on a romantic
oriental theme such as Lucille
(Lady Duff-Gordon) and Paul Poiret
or tailor made suits derived from
men’s suits.
Just before the outbreak of the
First World War there was
another couple of modifications.
The first in 1913 was the V-neck
blouse. At the time it was akin to
indecent exposure and was dubbed
the ‘pneumonia blouse’ but in spite
of all the protests the V-neck was
very soon accepted. The second
was a kind of tunic which reached
to just below the knee that fitted
over the long skirt which was tight
at the ankle however, when the war
broke out women found the double
skirt an encumbrance in the war
work in which many of them were
engaged but the tailor made suits
were very popular.

28. Pablo Picasso (Spanish), costume for
the Chinese conjurer in the Massine
Ballet Parade. Satin and Silver cloth,
1917

29. The First World War had a deadening effect on fashion and it
was 1919 before fashion picked up again. Then in 1925 came a
revolution, that of the short skirt! The waist also dropped down
to the hip.

30. Theatre Costume,
Paul Poiret,
1911
Green silk gauze and gold
lamé with blue foil
appliqué and celluloid-
bead embroidery,
Metropolitan Museum of
Art

31. Erte Costume
Designs

32. A new type of woman had come into
existence- the androgynous look was one
that girls strove for- trying to look as much
like boys as possible.
All curves were abandoned and women cut
off their hair creating the bob of the early
20’s then the shingle cut which made the
coiffure follow much more closely the lines
of the head and the cloche hat became
universally popular.

33. The outstanding
revolutionary
design talent of
the Twenties was
undoubtedly
‘Coco” Chanel, only
rivalled a few
years later by
Elsa Schiaparelli.
Chanel evening dress. Sequins on chiffon, French 1932
These two
women were
not merely
dress
designers; they
formed an
important part
of the whole
artistic
movement of
the time.

34. Jeanne Lanvin,
Embellished Robe, 1920s
Coco Chanel
1883-1971
The key to
Channels
success was her
use of
lightweight
fabrics which
gave woman
unprecedented
freedom of
movement
TEXTILES

35. Elsa Schiaparelli
(1890 – 1973) was a
surrealist artist in the
world of high fashion
'Tear' Evening Dress,
1938
(Fabric designed by
Salvador Dalí)
Shoe hat
Eyelash hat
TEXTILES

36. As the decade drew to a
close skirts suddenly became
long again and the waist
resumed its normal place and
it symbolised a return to
more serious thinking as in
economic terms there was
the Great depression, in
political terms there was the
rise of Hitler and Fascism.
The cloche hat, which had
ruled over the style for
nearly ten years, was
abolished and women were
free to grow their hair long
again.
1930’s fashion
designs

37. Wide shoulders and slender hips
seemed to be every woman’s
ideal, exemplified in the figure
of famous actress Greta Garbo.
The silver screen and Hollywood
was a big influence at this time
and film actresses were at the
forefront of fashion, their
costumes created by designers
such as Gilbert Adrian.
The Back became the new
erogenous zone.
The main lines of women’s
clothes in the early 1930’s were
dresses were slim straight,
being sometimes wider at the
shoulders than at the hips. Tall
girls were admired; all the
tricks of the couturier were
employed to give the impression
of increased height.

38. The Depression helped to bring the
clothes of different classes closer
together and a new process had
begun which brought the creations
of the Paris design houses within
the reach of nearly every woman.
Before 1930 buyers (especially
American buyers) tended to
purchase several dozen copies of
each selected model shown in Paris
and resell them to a wealthy
clientele. But after the Slump the
American authorities imposed a
duty of up to 90 per cent on the
cost of the original model. Toiles
(i.e. patterns cut out in linen) were
allowed in duty-free. Each toile was
supplied with full directions for
making it up, and although the
original dress may have cost a
hundred thousand francs, it was
now possible to sell a simplified
version for as little as fifty dollars.

39. With the growing use of
synthetic fabrics even the
factory girl could now
afford to purchase
artificial silk stockings.
In the summer of 1939 as
there were many different
styles and silhouettes in
Vogue but all had a tiny
waist in common, held in by
super light weight boned
and laced corsets. Perhaps,
if peace had been
preserved, women in the
1940’s would once more
have been confined their
waists in a rigid cage.
History, however, decreed
otherwise as the Second
World War had begun.

40. Art Nouveau Fashion/Textile Designers:
Charles Frederick Worth
Jacques Doucet
Doeuillet and Drecoll
Paul Poiret
Art Deco Fashion/Textile Designers:
Coco Chanel
Jeanne Lanvin
Elsa Schiaparelli
Paul Poiret
Mariano Fortuny
The Ballet Russes - devised by Sergei Diaghilev
Leon Bakst
Sonia Delaunay
Jean Patou
Madeleine Vionnet
Christian Berard
Stepanova
Popova

41. Key Points
 Simple, unadorned design
 Clean unfussy lines
 Dynamic, powerful imagery
 Streamlining i.e aerodynamic shapes
 Ocean liner details
 Motifs- sunbursts, lightning bolts, zig zags,
leaping gazelles
 Order, color and geometry: the essence of Art
Deco vocabulary

42. Characteristics of Art Nouveau / Art Deco Styles
Art Nouveau
Sinuous, curving quality of line
Organic growth (plant forms,
intertwining tendrils)
Lack of symmetry
Whiplash Line (swirling, weaving)
An artificial style, often
asymmetrical
Use of flowers, leaves, insects,
female nudes
Art Deco
Eclectic style- drawn from
Africa, Asia, Mexico, Egypt
amongst others
Angular, rectilinear rather than
curvilinear
clear and pure
Symmetrical
Tendency to abstraction
Works embrace naturalistic,
geometric or abstract surface
decoration
Assertively modern style

43. Art Nouveau/ Art Deco
Task: Choose one designer from Art Nouveau and one designer from
the Art Deco movement. Use at least two examples of work from each
designer, describe these in detail and use your observations to validate
your opinions on both designers’ work.
Start with an outline of the main features of each movement – dates,
influences, aims, sources of inspiration etc – set the movement in it’s
period and context in time.
Use the Visual elements and Design Issues in your descriptions of each
example and give your own reasoned opinions of the work of each
designer. Provide good illustrations/colour pictures of the pieces you
describe.