Introduction

The French term Art Nouveau meaning New Art was first recognized in the 19th century in the compositions of William Morris. The style of art is mainly composed of curves as it represents, and at times, reflects nature. The main factor affecting the evolution of this style was the cost of production. Arte joven, as it is called in Spain, mainly used iron and ceramics in sculptures which at the time was quite expensive to do. This in turn posed a problem as most artists and architects could not afford to continue practicing the style, leaving the style to the handful of practitioners who could afford to do so. Although Art Nouveau was replaced by 20th-century modernist styles, it is considered now as an important transition between the historicism of Neoclassicism and modernism. Furthermore, Art Nouveau monuments are now recognised by UNESCO with their World Heritage List as significant contributions to cultural heritage. The historic centre of Riga, Latvia, with "the finest collection of art nouveau buildings in Europe", was included on the list during 1997 in part because of the "quality and the quantity of its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture", and four Brussels town houses by Victor Horta were included during 2000 as "works of human creative genius" that are "outstanding examples of Art Nouveau architecture brilliantly illustrating the transition from the 19th to the 20th century in art, thought, and society". There is significant educational value in researching this topic, because I myself am intrigued by the style and it will grant me knowledge in the history of the art and allow space for more, deeper, and knowledgeable appreciation. In turn I hope that my attempts in highlighting this style of art will allow other researchers or artists an easier path in their search