Table Cover, 1890-1910

In the 1890s, artists and designers in Europe and the United States attempted to create a modern aesthetic for the 20th century. The decorative style that emerged, Art Nouveau, featured bold color contrasts and organic lines, sometimes flowing gracefully and sometimes sharply undulating--like a whiplash. This expert set explores Art Nouveau's beginnings, its expression in American design, and references to the style in later examples.

The Arts and Crafts movement emerged in the 1860s and 1870s in England, then the most industrialized country in the world. Theorists and designers promoted a return to an idealized past where artists and craftsmen collaborated to create beautiful and useful objects. Many of the movement's ideas spread to the United States by 1900. Here is a representative group of objects from our collection, featuring high-end to mass-market examples.