Aesthetic and social interpretation of the history, development and meaning of the art movement which flourished at the turn of the century.

Western art has evolved through a wide, range of styles, each characterized by its own unique philosophy and masterpieces. This series is a visual tribute to these formative movements in Western art and the artists and forces that created them. An elegant style characterized by ornamental, sinuous lines, Art Nouveau created a unity between the fine arts, the applied arts, architecture, and decoration of all types. Here is a stunning visual celebration...

"Late in the 19th century artists and designers were searching for an alternative to the ponderous Victorian style which then predominated. William Morris with his Arts and Crafts Movement was the first to strike out on his own, and he was followed by three mildly dissimilar men who were to have a strong influence on the whole of European art: the Scottish architect-designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the English artist Aubrey Beardsley, and the eccentric...

Introduction / Roger-Henri Guerrand -- Great Britain: arts and craft and art nouveau / Tim Benton -- Spain: modernismo in Catalonia / Tim Benton -- Belgium: red steel and blue aesthetic / Maurice Culot -- France: Viollet-le-Duc to Tony Garnier : the passion for rationalism / François Loyer -- Holland: building towards an ideal : progressive architecture in Holland / Richard Padovan -- Switzerland: the temperate presence of art nouveau / Jacques...