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is actually quite relevant to French culture in terms of art.
"Art Nouveau" was a movement that started in France and other European countries and peaked from around 1890-1905. It largely featured the girandole. One of the most recognizable examples of girandole found in Art Nouveau is the Tiffany lamp invented in NY by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany lamps are girandole-shaped if you look at the lamp shade from the top. Some other artists of this movement include French-born Swissman Theophile Steinlen who created the quite famous "Chat Noir" poster (shown above on the left) which features a girandole crowning the cat's head like a halo. Another example of the girandole can be found in the Grand Palais in Paris, created by four main architects in the style of Art Nouveau. The photo above on the right is a girandole-shaped dome from the interior of the Grand Palais. Overall, the artists of Art Nouveau strived to put high art to practical use. That's why Art Nouveau didn't stop at paintings and architecture, but expanded to posters, lamps, and even cigarette cases.
*The facts and photos in this entry about Art Nouveau were taken from Wikipedia. The spin on the girandole is from me.
"Art Nouveau" was a movement that started in France and other European countries and peaked from around 1890-1905. It largely featured the girandole. One of the most recognizable examples of girandole found in Art Nouveau is the Tiffany lamp invented in NY by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany lamps are girandole-shaped if you look at the lamp shade from the top. Some other artists of this movement include French-born Swissman Theophile Steinlen who created the quite famous "Chat Noir" poster (shown above on the left) which features a girandole crowning the cat's head like a halo. Another example of the girandole can be found in the Grand Palais in Paris, created by four main architects in the style of Art Nouveau. The photo above on the right is a girandole-shaped dome from the interior of the Grand Palais. Overall, the artists of Art Nouveau strived to put high art to practical use. That's why Art Nouveau didn't stop at paintings and architecture, but expanded to posters, lamps, and even cigarette cases.
*The facts and photos in this entry about Art Nouveau were taken from Wikipedia. The spin on the girandole is from me.
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That's amazing that the girandole is so ever-present in French art. I've seen the "Chat Noir" poster a thousand times and never even noticed the girandole above its head!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Me too. Culture is cool.
ReplyDeleteI never noticed that girandole! I had that "chat noir" poster in my bedroom for years! I had no idea that Art Nouveau featured so many girandoles. :)
ReplyDelete