Abstract
Wallpaper in the Time of Art Nouveau : Exhibitions and Commercialization Wallpaper designs produced around 1900 are particularly significant for the manner in which they incorporated the aesthetic trends of the period. In this essay, however, I have chosen to leave this well-known aspect aside in order to focus on the different modes of presentation of these designs and question the manner in which the exhibition and commercialization of wallpaper related to the artistic ideals of Art Nouveau. In the various exhibitions and events dedicated to the major art currents of the period, wallpaper appeared as a key component of the stylistic units of interiors. At the same time, wallpaper was often decontextualized and separated from the domestic environment, as when it was showcased in specialized exhibitions that promoted it as an industrial product or when it was displayed in shops. While Art Nouveau wallpaper appeared in these circumstances as part of a historical context, the buyer encountered it as a fragment and no longer in a three-dimensional environment. The wallpaper as decorative element thus ensured the spread of a modern aesthetic within Belle Epoque interiors but in a manner which eschewed a true understanding of the artistic program of Art Nouveau and its emphasis on creating a global aesthetic environment.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
