Paris was pretty much the epicentre of the art and fashion world at the beginning of the 1900's. It was the place where everyone looked to for the new ideas and trends, especially after the Exposition Universelle!
Above: Illustration of the Exposition Universelle - you can see how the landmarks are works of art in themselves and the perfect entrances/venues for this celebration!
The Exposition Universelle celebrated the best parts of the past century, and showcased new innovations which would lead the crowd into the new one. The Eiffel Tower, constructed for the previous Exposition Universelle served as an archway to lead the visitors in and served as a reminder of the past achievements in architecture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lasm1gGmck4 (Extracts of film from the exhibition)
Poster advertising the films to be shown in the Exposition Universelle (Source: wikipedia)
It was the first place to showcase filming and escalators; the films were of ballet and opera, both with moving images and sound. Visitors were also filmed and you can see them almost mesmerized by the moving floor! Things were changing and changing fast.
Whiplash hair: One of the most famous Art Nouveau illustrators, Alphonse Mucha, created images highlighting the beauty of the female form, surrounded by patterns of his own - I love how there's an edge of fantasy to this; her hair is impossible but amazing! (Source: kingofsenses.blogspot.com)
Another change kick-started in Paris was art - the Art Nouveau movement had begun. Pioneered by a new wave of artists in Paris who needed a change from the realistic forms of oil painting and simple stone setting, this movement saw art change - it became more abstract and adventurous, with smooth, fluid 'whiplash' curves in sculpture and lines allowing the artist to break free and make the work more dynamic. It also had influence from the orient, so the west was beginning to meet the east.
An example of the whiplash lines used in interior decoration - there's so much to look at and this is an art itself (Source: 4rts.wordpress.com)
A pewter Art Nouveau vase - again, celebrating the female form, the attention to detail is extraordinary (source: icollector.com)
New glass - this is just one of many examples of artists taking influence from nature and using old materials in new ways; I think using colour on the glass brings a whole new feel to the piece.
Close-up of Rene Lalique's 'Dragonfly' - the glass has been broken into pieces so tiny and the main jewels are unconventional; this is a prime example of how free jewellers had become - no longer were they just setting diamonds into gold jewellery - they were making art.
Jewellers used different and unusual materials to create their work - diamonds were set aside, and new gems such as emeralds were paired with ivory and copper to bring about a much more colourful, slightly whimsical style, and with this new sense of decorative arts, the world was entering an age of decadence.
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