Art Nouveau

The whisper back and forth between Japanese design and European art and design is written all over this collection. This group offers the traditional nature motifs from Japan with western naturalistic rendering and the stretched graphic lines and sinuous curves that became the foundation of Art Nouveau. Jugendstijl, English Arts and Crafts and the patterns of William Morris all took a cue from the arrival of Japanese graphic art in Europe.

Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Comfort Tiffany collected katagami and translated their pattern into lamp bases, surface design, vents and railings. The Huston collection is especially rich in works from this style and period. This show represents a small portion. If you want to see more, search the catalog.