LA BELLE EPOQUE
Paris at the turn of the 20th century was a mecca for artists, writers, actors and poets.The period following the uprising of the Paris Commune until the outbreak of the First World War was one of political stability and relative prosperity in France. Known as La Belle Epoque, or “the beautiful era”, this was a period that led to a flowering of artistic expression and scientific and technical progress.
It is Art Nouveau that is popularly associated with La Belle Epoque. Curvilinear, writhing plant forms decorated entire interiors of homes and hotels and in 1895 art dealer Samuel Bing opened the Maison de l’Art Nouveau. Inspired by the artworks of Japan and the British Arts & Crafts Movement, this design obsession flourished for over two decades. It was in 1900 that Hector Guimard was commissioned to design the dramatic entrances to the Paris Metro and subsequently 167 versions were built, of which 66 still survive.
Some of the most interesting and important examples of Art Nouveau, and the associated movements such as Viennese Secession and German Jugendstil, are permanently displayed across three floors of the Musee d’Orsay. Pieces from as far afield as Scandinavia and Russia can also be viewed.
This summer an exhibition at the Petit Palais celebrates the life of Sarah Bernhardt, who was the most famous actors in the world during this period. Dubbed “The Incomparable One” by Oscar Wilde and widely known as “The Divine Sarah”, she established a touring company that traversed the globe.
It was a chance meeting at a printer’s premises that led to her 6 year collaboration with the Czech Art Nouveau genius, Alphonse Mucha. His posters for her performances, such as La Dame aux Camelias and Gismonda, helped to make her a household name. A dramatic double serpent bracelet-cum-finger ring was designed by Mucha and the jeweller Georges Fouquet. The remarkable “dragonfly corsage” that depicts a woman emerging from the winged body of the insect was created by Rene Lalique and resides today in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.
A lion, cheetah, six chameleons, two turtles and a monkey were some of the exotic animals that made up Sarah’s menagerie. This drama queen practiced for her tragic roles in a satin-lined coffin that was installed in her bedroom, and such were the power of her performances that Czar Alexander III broke court protocol and bowed to her.
Art Nouveau remains one of the most inventive art and design movements, a celebration of culture and “joie de vivre” that continues to inspire us today.
Written by Chrissie Masters and published in the June 2023 issue of THE COUNTY CHRONICLE
The Design Gallery was launched in 2002 to specialise in progressive design movements of the 19th and 20th Century. We met whilst studying at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and discovered that we shared a passion for design, especially Art Deco, Art Nouveau and the Arts & Crafts Movement.
