The decorative arts of a brief period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries reflect the mood of the times - reaction was in the air and the result was a vogue for the ornamental style known as 'art nouveau', a style characterised by naturalism, sinuous lines, asymmetrical forms and excellence in craftsmanship, and one which has been reassessed and rehabilitated in the latter part of the 20th century. A European phenomenon, the French led the field and the catalogues of the Paris Salons over a twenty year period illustrate work by such artists as Boucheron, Chaumet, Galle and Lalique. It is these catalogue illustrations which make up this unique pictorial encyclopaedia and bring together a record of the outstanding and imaginative work of art nouveau artists and craftsmen by subject.
