DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.23631#0083
peries, rugs and carpets, heavy velvet door and window curtains, panelling, cordovan upholstery and
gildings, bronzes and chandeliers, palms and bouquets of dried flowers.
What became known as the Sezessionstil or Art Nouveau came in reaction to the various historical styles
in the last decade of the 19th century, or perhaps a little earlier. The term Sezessionstil was coined in
Vienna by a group of young artists who cut themselves off from traditional trends and aimed at
developing their own style. Similar movements were known as Jugendstil m Germany, the Modern style
in Britain and Art Nouveau in France. All of them adopted some of the ideas of Ruskin an d the Pre-
Raphaehtes, but were mostly inspired by the atmosphere of decadence, fin-de-siecle and symbolism in
literature, lins was an aggressive movement encompassing the principal domains of art — painting,
sculpture, architecture and the graphic arts — and to a lesser extent dress styles, interior decoration
and craftsmanship. The young men who began the Sezessionstil drew inspiration from Oriental
art, particularly of the Far East, from medieval and rococo art and from the symbolic art of William
Blake (1757 —1827). The basic motifs were derived from observation of nature, from selected natural
shapes and colour schemes. Flat writhing vegetable forms, especially lilies, irises, waterlilies, nasturtiums
and fuchsias, were rendered in winding curvilinear line as were also butterflies and dragonflies, lizards,
peacock and ostrich feathers, fish scales, spider-webs, dandelion blow-balls, ripples on water, wisps of
smoke and woman's hair. Synthesized and stylized, these motifs, reduced to two dimensions, figured
usually in asymmetrical arrangements, concordant or clashing, violently dynamic or subjected to rhythmic
pulsation.
In furniture the forerunner of the Sezessionstil was Michael Thonet who opened a furniture factory
in Vienna shortly after 1850. His furniture was made of bent beech wood and won rapid popularity
in the Austrian partition zone and elsewhere. Thus fluent line was the basic characteristic of furniture
designed toward the end of the century. The decoration consisted in carved or inlaid plant motifs, which
were also copied on metal fittings and locks. Some types of Art Nouveau furniture showed Chinese
and Japanese influence.
The Empire style did not have much use for tapestries. Walls were decorated mainly with pictures,
miniatures and prints with plenty of space left bare to display effectively particularly good works of
art. The Biedermeier and historical styles turned back to oriental rugs and carpels which were imported
in great quantities from Persia, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Attempts were made to revive
local manufacture of kilim rugs. Modern ornamental fabrics appeared toward the end ol the century under
the influence of Art Nouveau. Silver, porcelain and faience, pewter and cut glass objects played an essential
role in the interior decor.
In the 19th century, Warsaw was the principal centre of the goldsmiths' trade, lollowed by Cracow,
Poznah, Lvov and Vilna. The goldsmiths' trade was still based on the guild system, though in Warsaw
production developed on an industrial scale. It catered to the needs of the aristocracy, country gentry and
the bourgeoisie. As in other fields of artistic production it experienced various changes in style, from
neo-classical tinted with French Empire through German Biedermeier, various historical styles, to Art
Nouveau toward the end of the century. Greatest importance was attached to table silver, ol which there
was a great variety and abundance: apart from knives, forks and spoons ol all sizes, often gilt, there
were plates, dishes, tureens, vases, punch-bowls, wine-coolers, trays, tea sets, col lee sets, breakfast sets,
fingerbowls, candlesticks and candelabra, Austrian percolators and Russian samovars. Liturgical vessels
in silver — chalices, ciboria and monstrances — continued to be made, though in smaller quantities
than in the past centuries. On the other hand, production of Jewish religious objects, such as Hanukkah
lamps, candleholders, spice boxes and Torah bindings, developed. Hundreds ol gold- and silversmiths
arc known to have worked in Warsaw during the 19th century; their names are preserved in archive
documents and their stamps figure on some of the surviving objects. Objects in gold and silver preserved
in museums and private collections constitute only a fraction of the total manufactured at the tune. The
explanation is simple — since such objects represented considerable if not great value, they were first
to be requisitioned, confiscated and looted. During the first two decades of the 19th century, Warsaw
silverware continued the neo-classical tradition of the Stanislaus Augustus period though it was much
simpler and unornamented. This was followed by a local version of French Empire which came to an end
in the mid-i9th century. At the same time, in the 1830s and 1840s the Second Rococo, Neo-Renaissance
and Neo-Baroque styles with Roman and Oriental elements appeared. However with all these fluctuations
in style Neo-Classicism and Neo-Baroque remained dominant throughout the century. The rich fluent
gildings, bronzes and chandeliers, palms and bouquets of dried flowers.
What became known as the Sezessionstil or Art Nouveau came in reaction to the various historical styles
in the last decade of the 19th century, or perhaps a little earlier. The term Sezessionstil was coined in
Vienna by a group of young artists who cut themselves off from traditional trends and aimed at
developing their own style. Similar movements were known as Jugendstil m Germany, the Modern style
in Britain and Art Nouveau in France. All of them adopted some of the ideas of Ruskin an d the Pre-
Raphaehtes, but were mostly inspired by the atmosphere of decadence, fin-de-siecle and symbolism in
literature, lins was an aggressive movement encompassing the principal domains of art — painting,
sculpture, architecture and the graphic arts — and to a lesser extent dress styles, interior decoration
and craftsmanship. The young men who began the Sezessionstil drew inspiration from Oriental
art, particularly of the Far East, from medieval and rococo art and from the symbolic art of William
Blake (1757 —1827). The basic motifs were derived from observation of nature, from selected natural
shapes and colour schemes. Flat writhing vegetable forms, especially lilies, irises, waterlilies, nasturtiums
and fuchsias, were rendered in winding curvilinear line as were also butterflies and dragonflies, lizards,
peacock and ostrich feathers, fish scales, spider-webs, dandelion blow-balls, ripples on water, wisps of
smoke and woman's hair. Synthesized and stylized, these motifs, reduced to two dimensions, figured
usually in asymmetrical arrangements, concordant or clashing, violently dynamic or subjected to rhythmic
pulsation.
In furniture the forerunner of the Sezessionstil was Michael Thonet who opened a furniture factory
in Vienna shortly after 1850. His furniture was made of bent beech wood and won rapid popularity
in the Austrian partition zone and elsewhere. Thus fluent line was the basic characteristic of furniture
designed toward the end of the century. The decoration consisted in carved or inlaid plant motifs, which
were also copied on metal fittings and locks. Some types of Art Nouveau furniture showed Chinese
and Japanese influence.
The Empire style did not have much use for tapestries. Walls were decorated mainly with pictures,
miniatures and prints with plenty of space left bare to display effectively particularly good works of
art. The Biedermeier and historical styles turned back to oriental rugs and carpels which were imported
in great quantities from Persia, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Attempts were made to revive
local manufacture of kilim rugs. Modern ornamental fabrics appeared toward the end ol the century under
the influence of Art Nouveau. Silver, porcelain and faience, pewter and cut glass objects played an essential
role in the interior decor.
In the 19th century, Warsaw was the principal centre of the goldsmiths' trade, lollowed by Cracow,
Poznah, Lvov and Vilna. The goldsmiths' trade was still based on the guild system, though in Warsaw
production developed on an industrial scale. It catered to the needs of the aristocracy, country gentry and
the bourgeoisie. As in other fields of artistic production it experienced various changes in style, from
neo-classical tinted with French Empire through German Biedermeier, various historical styles, to Art
Nouveau toward the end of the century. Greatest importance was attached to table silver, ol which there
was a great variety and abundance: apart from knives, forks and spoons ol all sizes, often gilt, there
were plates, dishes, tureens, vases, punch-bowls, wine-coolers, trays, tea sets, col lee sets, breakfast sets,
fingerbowls, candlesticks and candelabra, Austrian percolators and Russian samovars. Liturgical vessels
in silver — chalices, ciboria and monstrances — continued to be made, though in smaller quantities
than in the past centuries. On the other hand, production of Jewish religious objects, such as Hanukkah
lamps, candleholders, spice boxes and Torah bindings, developed. Hundreds ol gold- and silversmiths
arc known to have worked in Warsaw during the 19th century; their names are preserved in archive
documents and their stamps figure on some of the surviving objects. Objects in gold and silver preserved
in museums and private collections constitute only a fraction of the total manufactured at the tune. The
explanation is simple — since such objects represented considerable if not great value, they were first
to be requisitioned, confiscated and looted. During the first two decades of the 19th century, Warsaw
silverware continued the neo-classical tradition of the Stanislaus Augustus period though it was much
simpler and unornamented. This was followed by a local version of French Empire which came to an end
in the mid-i9th century. At the same time, in the 1830s and 1840s the Second Rococo, Neo-Renaissance
and Neo-Baroque styles with Roman and Oriental elements appeared. However with all these fluctuations
in style Neo-Classicism and Neo-Baroque remained dominant throughout the century. The rich fluent