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Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

ART NOUVEAU STYLE

In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.

ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Sinuous, organic and flowing lines
  • Forms that mimic flowers and plant life
  • Decorative inlays and ornate carvings of natural-world motifs such as insects and animals 
  • Use of hardwoods such as oak, mahogany and rosewood

ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.

The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau. 

The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.

In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers. 

The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.

Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass. 

Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).

Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.

There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.

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Style: Art Nouveau
Vintage European Art Deco Geometric 14x14 427cm x 445cm Square Beige Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage European Art Deco Geometric 14x14 427cm x 445cm Square Beige Rug "This is an exquisite, rare size vintage Art Deco rug. This unique square pi...
Category

1950s European Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Bobyrug’s pretty mid century French Cogolin rug art nouveau design
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful mid century French Cogolin rug with a nice art nouveau design and beautiful colours with brown, beige and grey, entirely hand knotted with wool on cotton foundation. ✨✨✨ "...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Rare Viennese Art Nouveau Rug
Located in New York, NY
Rare Viennese Art Nouveau Rug Size: 8'5" × 13'7" (256 × 414 cm) A unique example of vintage Viennese European Deco rug dating back to circa 1900. This is ...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Bobyrug’s Pretty antique french art nouveau round rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very nice antique french round rug from early 20th century, with a beautiful floral art nouveau design from an artist of the period, entirely hand knotted with wool on jute foundation
Category

1920s French Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Jute

Vintage Spanish Rug in Gold, with Geometric Patterns
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand-knotted in wool, this 11x19 vintage Spanish rug in gold features geometric patterns in green and orange that draw on Art Nouveau sensibilities. On the Design: Admirers of the...
Category

1940s Spanish Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Nazmiyal Collection Antique Irish Art Nouveau Donegal Rug. Size: 11 ft. x 12 ft.
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful Antique Irish Art Nouveau Donegal Rug, Country of Origin / Rug Type: Irish Rugs, Circa Date: 1920 – Throughout the early 20th century, Done...
Category

Early 20th Century Northern Irish Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Carpet
Located in London, GB
A handsome carpet, with an understated palette and monochrome drawing, inspired by the works of Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts designers of its era, like those of William Morris and...
Category

Early 20th Century European Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

XXth Century Yellow and Green Round European Savonerie Art Nouveau, ca 1930
Located in Firenze, IT
Handmade carpet made in northern Europe. The carpet is born from the union of two parts evidently knotted with a homemade frame, too small to make carpets of this size. The wool is ...
Category

Early 20th Century European Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage European Kilim Flatwoven Rug Signed Handmade Tapestry Art Nouveau Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage French tapestry handmade tapestry JC Bisery signed "This is a beautiful Vintage European Tapestry, artist signed. This magnificent Flat woven rug has great character, art...
Category

1970s Spanish Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

1920s Antique Austrian Carpet, Art Nouveau Style, Pink Green and Yellow Tones
Located in New York, NY
An antique Austrian piece with Art Nouveau touches in the border system at the ends. Tan field with open long, slender cartouches above palest blue green flower bedecked hillocks. Ec...
Category

1920s Austrian Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage Art Nouveau Rug Arts & Crafts Rug William Morris Square Handmade
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Arts & Crafts Rug Rare Art Nouveau Rug William Morris Art Deco Rug 12x12 11'9" x 11'9" 358cm x 358 cm "This is a Magnificent Arts & crafts rug with a unique pattern an...
Category

1970s European Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage European Kilim Flatwoven Rug Kelim Rug Handmade Tapestry Art Nouveau Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage European Kilim flat woven rug Art Nouveau Tapestry 4' x 5'2" 135cm x 158cm "This is a beautiful Vintage European Rug tapestry. This mag...
Category

1970s Spanish Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage European Kilim Flatwoven Rug Kelim Rug Handmade Tapestry Art Nouveau Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage European Kilim flatwoven rug flatwoven Kelim rug handmade tapestry 5x6 4'9" x 6'3" 145cm x 191cm "This is a beautiful European kilim Ru...
Category

1970s Spanish Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Bobyrug’s Beautiful Vintage French Hand Knotted Cogolin Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice mid century French Cogolin rug with beautiful modern design and light colors, entirely hand knotted with wool velvet on cotton foundation. ✨✨✨ "Experience the epitome of luxury...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage European Kilim Flatwoven Rug Kelim Rug Handmade Tapestry Art Nouveau Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage European Kilim Flatwoven Rug Art Nouveau Signed Tapestry 5'2" x 7'3" 158cm x 221cm "This is a beautiful Vintage European Rug tapestry. Thi...
Category

1970s European Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage Donegal Rug Vintage Arts & Crafts Rug Art Nouveau Rug Signed 10x17 Large
Located in New York, NY
Rare Vintage Arts & Crafts Rug Bird Area Rug Signed Pink 9'9" x 16'8" (10x17) 297cmx508cm "This is beautiful vintage European Arts & Crafts rug. This signed piece has a very uniqu...
Category

1960s Spanish Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Nazmiyal Antique Art Nouveau Donegal Rug. 10 ft 2 in x 17 ft (3.1 m x 5.18 m)
Located in New York, NY
Antique Art Nouveau Irish Donegal Rug, Country of Origin / Rug Type: Irish Rugs, Circa Date: 1920 – Size: 10 ft 2 in x 17 ft (3.1 m x 5.18 m)
Category

Early 20th Century Northern Irish Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Nazmiyal Collection Vintage Spanish Rug. Size: 8 ft x 9 ft 3 in
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Spanish rug, Country of Origin: Spain, Circa date: Mid 20th century. Size: 8 ft x 9 ft 3 in (2.44 m x 2.82 m)
Category

Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage Romanian Palace Size Rug with Old World Art Nouveau Cottage Style
Located in Dallas, TX
76657, vintage Romanian Palace size rug with old world Art Nouveau cottage style. With architectural elements of curved arabesque forms and decorative de...
Category

Late 20th Century Romanian Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Antique Savonnerie Carpet, Elegant
Located in Evanston, IL
Antique Savonnerie rugs exemplify the formal grace and elegance of classical European design. Savonnerie originated in Spain since the eleventh century, and to the rest of European.
Category

20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Light Yellow French Art Nouveau Rug with Roses
Located in Milan, IT
A truly elegant French Art Nouveau rug, characterized by a light yellow background filled with roses arranged on long stems which branch out to...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Nazmiyal Collection Art Nouveau Austrian Carpet.Size: 8 ft 2 in x 11 ft 4 in
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful Rare Austrian Art Nouveau Rug, Country of Origin / Rug Type: Austrian Rugs, Circa Date: 1910 – Size: 8 ft 2 in x 11 ft 4 in (2.49 m x 3.45 m) ...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Early 20th Century Donegal Art Nouveau Carpet ( 9'1" x 12'6" - 277 x 382 )
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th Century Donegal Art Nouveau Carpet ( 9'1" x 12'6" - 277 x 382 cm )
Category

Early 1900s Northern Irish Antique Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage Viennese Carpet
Located in New York, NY
"Jugendstil" vintage Viennese carpet Austria, circa 1900 Vienna Art Nouveau period. The reverse monogrammed JBS for Johann Bachhausen Sohne The rose ...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Turn-of-the-Century Art Nouveau Carpet
Located in New York, NY
At the end of the 19th century markets were flooded with a glut of mass produced decorative arts products designed to replicate the traditional historical styles of baroque and rococ...
Category

Early 1900s Spanish Antique Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

1930s Austrian Art Nouveau Vienna Werkstätte Carpet ( 9'4" x 13'6" - 285 x 412 )
Located in New York, NY
1930s Austrian Art Nouveau Vienna Werkstätte Carpet ( 9'4" x 13'6" - 285 x 412 )
Category

1920s Austrian Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Early 20th Century Viennese Carpet, Art Nouveau Period
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th Century Viennese Carpet, Art Nouveau Period Austria, circa 1905 Viennese carpet
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Light Blue Spanish Cuenca Carpet
Located in New York, NY
In a circa 1500 style, this probably Cuenca Spanish carpet shows an offset wreath and skeletal palmette allover pattern on a dark blue ground, within an...
Category

2010s Afghan Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Antique Spanish Art Nouveau Orientalist Square Rug
Located in Milan, IT
A rare and unusual Art Nouveau carpet decorated by a central medallion inspired by Oriental rugs dominating over a brilliant red open field, with paisley motifs embellishing the corn...
Category

1910s Spanish Vintage Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage Spanish Savonnerie Rug
Located in New York, NY
A vintage Spanish Savonnerie carpet from the mid-20th century.
Category

Mid-20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Vintage Romanian Palace Size Rug with Old World Art Nouveau Cottage Style
Located in Dallas, TX
76658 Vintage Romanian Palace Size rug with Old World Art Nouveau Cottage style 11'08 x 14'10. With architectural elements of curved arabesque forms and ...
Category

Late 20th Century Romanian Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Floral Narrow Vintage Turkish Anatolian Runner
Located in New York, NY
Narrow and short vintage Turkish Anatolian runner with accents in pinky rose, ivory and brown, circa 1940. Size: 2'2” x 7'6”.
Category

20th Century Turkish Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Art Nouveau Hand Knotted Carpet with Floral Design, Theo Nieuwenhuis, 1890-1905
Located in Schagen, NL
This very large carped was hand knotted in the Netherlands, circa 1890-1905. This design has been attributed to Theodoor Nieuwenhuis for Koninklijke Vereenigde Tapijtfabrieken Devent...
Category

1890s Dutch Antique Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Modernist Deco Carpet
Located in New York, NY
Mid-Century Turkish rug with Mid-Century modern vibes. 3'5' x 6'7''
Category

Mid-20th Century Turkish Art Nouveau Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Art Nouveau western european rugs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Art Nouveau western european rugs for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage western european rugs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include rugs and carpets, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, wool and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Art Nouveau western european rugs made in a specific country, there are Europe, Spain, and Austria pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for western european rugs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $704 and tops out at $69,000 while the average work can sell for $8,383.

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