Art Nouveau (1890 - 1910)
The Art Nouveau period borrowed from a number of previous periods, with elaborate ornamental carvings and veneer inlays offset by brass and chrome hardware. Upholstery in this period was from a variety of opulent fabrics, including velvet, tapestries, leather, and linen.
Art Nouveau was introduced to the world at the Paris Exposition of 1900. The furniture style was not widely accepted as it did not lend itself to mass production. Towards the end of the period, designs were more streamlined and allowed for mass production.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (originally McIntosh) a well known Art Nouveau maker began his career as an architect in the Arts and Crafts movement. He and his wife Margaret Macdonald, and her sister Francis with husband Herbert MacNair were known as “The Four” and collaborated on many furniture and interior design elements. While based in Scotland, their designs were copied worldwide.