Title Page of Kunstformen der Natur

In the 1880s, the term “art nouveau” began to appear within literature throughout the art community. Described by many as decorative and elegant, most Art Nouveau artists took organic shapes and aspects of the natural world to create their motifs (LeBourdais). The Art Nouveau style was most prominent between the 1880s and World War I. The period influenced many aspects of art, particularly graphic art, and illustration, with many accrediting botanical studies and underwater vegetation illustrations for specific design elements such as sinuous lines and curves (Novin).

In this post, we look at German biologist Ernst Heinrich Haeckel’s Kunstformen der Natur, translated to Art Forms in Nature. Haeckel was among the first to begin bridging the gap between science and art. This publication from 1899 influenced later art in the early 20th century and is an example of how Art Nouveau was a style being used and impacted by not just “traditional artists.” 

Haeckel continued to publish these illustrations until 1904, and this work is considered by many to be his greatest. Each print was lithographed; some had vibrant colors, and some remained black and white. Inspired by the world around him, Haeckel played a part in graphic design history by encouraging artists to reconcile with nature when industrialization was at its peak and society was rapidly changing (Blandino).

Citations:

Blandino, G. (2021, April 16). The incredible naturalist’s drawings that inspired Art Nouveau. The Pixartprinting blog. https://www.pixartprinting.co.uk/blog/drawings-ernst-haeckel/

LeBourdais, G. P. (2016, November 23). What is Art Nouveau? | artsy. Artsy. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-art-nouveau

Novin, G. (n.d.). Chapter 25 - pioneers of the Art Nouveau, chromolithography and the emergence of the modern poster and cigar box labels. A History of Graphic Design. http://guity-novin.blogspot.com/2010/05/history-of-graphic-design-birth-of-art.html