The Art Nouveau era was a relatively short, transitional period of art, with roots in the Arts & Crafts movement of the 19th century, and branches that stretched into the Modern era.
The style was represented in just about every type of decorative art during the height of its popularity, between 1890-1910.
Embroidery in the Art Nouveau style often featured botanical images, embroidered in wool.
The above Art Nouveau embroidery design can be found on the Victoria & Albert Museum website.
If you like the Art Nouveau look, you’ll want to check out (and download) these designs & illustrations by Florence Caulfield, available on the V&A website.
You’ll not only find the line drawings, but you’ll also be able to see them executed in wool embroidery. They’re a real treat!
If you’d like to see a beautiful piece of recent embroidery in this style, take a look at this Apple Fire Screen embroidered by Ruth O’Leary. She embroidered the design and appliquéd it to the ground fabric. It’s quite lovely and the process she used for the whole project is very interesting. You can find her step-by-step development of that project on her blog, Ruth O’Leary Textile Art.
Enjoy your weekend!
Thank you for this information. I’ve always loved art nouveau.A good place to see nice example of objects in that style isat the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. I also found in a book, a walking tour in the streets of La ville Lumière, to see beautiful examples of Art nouveau and Art déco architecture. I should look back to the photos I took to find designs that could be embroidered.
Thanks so much for the 16 stitch overview as well as the link to Ruth O’Leary’s website. So much eye candy to oogle over!
Have a wonderful weekend as well,
Devon
I love styles from many different periods of the past, but le ‘style moderne’ holds a special place for me. I love how the beauty of nature is made glamorous. Now I want this pattern.
Thanks for the link! And thanks for the link to the Florence Caulfield designs on the V&A site too – they’re just fabulous.
Dear Mary
I have glimpsed the websites above but I will explore further in more detail the embroidery projects above. A very lovely Art Nouveau design and Ruth O’Leary and Florence Caulfield embroidery projects are beautiful full of nature. Thanks for sharing these lovely patterns with us and for the chance to explore further the websites above.
Regards Anita Simmance
Thank you very much for the link. I love art nouveau and the designs are beautiful
Thanks for sharing this elegant design (I thought it artichokes, which will still work for me in Calif.) from one of my favorite style eras. Might even make it into a heart-felt holiday gift, accentuating the tendril leaves that already echo the form of hearts.
Hi Mrs. Corbet!
Queen Letizia of Spain recently wore a dress decorated with traditional Spanish blackwork embroidery on a state visit to Luxembourg (see pics below):
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/11/1415715562347_Image_galleryImage_LUXEMBOURG_NOVEMBER_11_Qu.JPG
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/11/1415715535360_Image_galleryImage_epa04485069_L_R_Crown_Pri.JPG
Thanks, Chris! Lovely dress!
Thank you yet again Mary. This has been a lovely look at some of my favourite designs – I have always been attracted to Art Nouveau. It is now Monday here, and my weekend has been pretty dire. Following cataract surgery 3 weeks ago, my eye suddenly began watering, was painful and stinging etc, so we consulted our local optometrist (no eye surgeons in our little town) who thought it could be something horrible like herpes and advised us to take the 3 hour drive into the biggest eye hospital in the southern hemisphere, which we did. I can’t stand the idea of losing my sight which I am sure you and all your followers will agree with. Fortunately there was nothing serious but it really did mess up the weekend as it takes me days to recover from the journey (other health issues). Anyway your post has brightened things up considerably. Thank you very much.