In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.
ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.
The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.
In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers.
The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.
Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass.
Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).
Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.
There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.
19th Century Tortoise Bamboo Side Table from France
Located in High Point, NC
Late 19th century tortoise bamboo side table from France. The top is surrounded by a band of bamboo molding. The table is supported on splayed bamboo legs, which are joined by a ...
Bamboo, Rush
19th Century French Bamboo Octagonal Side Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century French bamboo side table with octagonal top. The top is lovely and is banded in bamboo molding, following down to bamboo angled supports and splayed legs. The legs are...
Bamboo
Pair of Mid-Century Italian Liberty Night Stands Bedside Tables Walnut Glass Top
Located in Carimate, Como
Very elegant and refined Italian 1950s Mid-Century Modern design, pair of bedside tables with double front door, black glass top and beautiful wood veneer burl decors on the sides an...
Brass
19th Century French Bamboo Side Table with Octagonal Top
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tortoise bamboo side table from France with an octagonal shaped top. This table is darling! The top has bamboo molded edges, surrounding a seagrass top, and supported ...
Bamboo, Rush
Spanish Gilt Iron Drinks Table with Pointed Stem and Tripod Base, 1950s
Located in Buchanan, NY
This lovely Spanish iron side table was recently hand crafted by skilled artisans and features a distinctive design with a central stem that tapers to a fine point, attached to a s...
Iron
19th Century French Tortoise Bamboo Side Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tortoise bamboo side table from France. The top and lower shelf are covered in original rush, surrounded by bamboo banded molding. The top is supported on splayed legs...
Bamboo, Rush
Art Nouveau Oak Pedestal Side Table, Early 20th Century
Located in BÉTERA, ES
Elegant early 20th century Art Nouveau side table crafted in solid oak with a beautifully sculptural pedestal base. The table features a circular top supported by swan forms charact...
Hardwood, Oak
Art Nouveau Marquetry Corner Table
Located in Denton, TX
Art Nouveau table in carved walnut with floral and musical motive marquetry. We can not verify the signature but appears to be Galle.
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
French Art Nouveau Side Table or Plant Table in Oak, 1920s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Round Art Nouveau / Art Deco Side Table or Plant Table, France 1920s. Solid and sturdy oak frame and table top. Good original condition with light signs of use consistent with age.
Oak
Vintage Wrought Iron Meadowcraft Salterini Style 2 Tier Garden Patio Side Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Please message us with your zip code to request a more reasonable domestic U.S. shipping quote. Vintage Art Nouveau Wrought Iron Meadowcraft/Salterini Style 2 Tier Garden Patio Side...
Wrought Iron
Antique French Art Nouveau Side Table “Lilly” signed by Louis Majorelle 1900
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
This elegant Art Nouveau side table, signed by Louis Majorelle and made in France circa 1900, is a fine example of the period’s craftsmanship and organic design. The shaped top feat...
Walnut
Antoine BASTEL Art Nouveau Nesting Tables, Emile Galle
By A. Bastel, Émile Gallé
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Exceptional set of four Art Nouveau nesting tables crafted in noble woods with refined marquetry by the Lyon cabinetmaker Antoine Bastel, circa 1900. Bastel is known to have collabor...
Iron
Art Nouveau Marquetry Corner Table
Located in Denton, TX
Art Nouveau table in carved walnut with floral and musical motive marquetry.
Fruitwood, Satinwood, Walnut
20th Century Art Nouveau Bentwood Side Table No. 960 by J & J Kohn, AT ca. 1910
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Remarkable early 20th century Art Nouveau bentwood side table made by the famous Austrian company of Jacob & Josef Kohn around 1910. This timeless designed side table with the Mod. N...
Beech, Bentwood
French Elm Side Table Writing Table Turned Wood, circa 1900
Located in Labrit, Landes
French antique elm side or writing table, circa 1900. Turned legs, one drawer. Good antique condition Shipping: P 53 / 81 / 72 cm 14.2 kg
Elm
Art Nouveau Table Fischel Nr. 10, circa 1910, Thonet Style
By Fischel
Located in Praha, CZ
Rare 1910's Thonet style table, by Fischel, made in Austria. Made of wood. Revived, cleaned, shows minor signs of use and age.
Bentwood
$1,675Sale Price|20% Off
French Art Nouveau Wood Side Table Writing Table Glass Top One Drawer, c 1920
Located in Labrit, Landes
French antique wood and glass side or writing table, circa 1920. Made in the art Nouveau period : the legs are typical of the lines of this artistic movement inspirated by nature. Th...
Metal
Art Nouveau Side Table made of Bamboo
Located in Hannover, DE
This stunning Art Nouveau side table made of bamboo is a real gem! It's a true rarity and a must-have for any collection. This table is absolutely stunning! It's lovingly crafted by ...
Bamboo, Raffia
Swedish Smoking Table, oak with copper top, 1913 by Nordiska Kompaniet
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Stockholm, SE
A beautiful sidetable / smoking table in solid oak with hammered copper top. Made by Nordiska Kompaniet in 1913, model Tenn. Nice patina, smaller / normal signs of age and use. Sta...
Copper
$2,245Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Side Table by Émile Gallé, Marquetry Wood, France, 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Guéridon tripode en forme de blason marqueté sur son plateau d'une branche de chardon et d'une croix de Lorraine. La marqueterie est composée de palissandre, noyer, merisier, acajou ...
Wood
19th Century French Tortoise Bamboo Side Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tortoise bamboo side table from France with a lovely rattan pattern covered top and lower shelf. The table is supported on four legs, all with additional supports and b...
Bamboo
Pair of Spanish Hand-Forged Iron Drinks Tables with Hammered Tops
Located in Buchanan, NY
A striking pair of Spanish hand-forged iron drinks tables, recently crafted by skilled European artisans using traditional ironworking techniques. Hand-forged from solid iron, each t...
Iron
$2,395Sale Price|20% Off
an extremely rare French Art Nouveau side table Paris ar. 1905 iron brass zinc
Located in Landshut, BY
Bonjour ! This object is a gem, and in this rare version it features a riveted wrought iron frame with hammered zinc sheet fixed to a wooden panel. The panel has artistically desig...
Iron, Brass, Zinc
Unique Adolf Loos Style Jugendstil Secession Haberfeld Table
By Adolf Loos
Located in Forney, TX
A magnificent handcrafted vintage oak wood framed glass top haberfeld table with substantial gilded bronze and pierced brass accents, having six legs ...
Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Bamboo Side Table
Located in High Point, NC
19th century French bamboo table with wonderful Art Nouveau period style. The top has been restored with basketweave textile, and is supported on top of a wonderful frame with exce...
Bamboo, Paper
19th Century Biedermeier Sewing Table, Austria
By Biedermeier
Located in Praha, CZ
- original conditon - good condition - made of wood
Wood
$608Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Wooden Table/ Lira, 1910's
Located in Praha, CZ
- made in Czechoslovakia - made of mahagon - a little tilted - good, original condition.
Wood
$2,178Sale Price|24% Off
Art Nouveau Walnut Sewing Table, Polished Finish, Germany, Circa 1905
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Beautiful sewing or side table made of walnut veneer and inside oak and maple. The table dates back to the time of Art Nouveau period, more specifically from the time, circa 1905. In...
Maple, Oak, Walnut
Thonet Vienna Art Nouveau Set Of Four Nesting Side Tables, Black Stained, C 1900
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
An elegant Art Nouveau side table set comprising four individual tables of varying sizes that can be nested inside one another. High-quality, handcrafted furniture featuring decorati...
Beech
$1,169Sale Price|20% Off
Oak Art Nouveau Arts & Crafts Side Table, 1900s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and rare Art Nouveau Arts & Crafts side table. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak frame with hand-carved flowers on top and legs. This wonderful Art Nouveau ...
Oak
Flower column Koloman Moser
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Oak flower stand and/or pedestal with a black glass top. This design was used exclusively by Koloman Moser for furniture distributed by Wiener Werkstätte. Black stained; good condi...
Opaline Glass, Oak
Antique French Style Folding Wrought Iron Garden Table with Grapevine Motif
Located in Miami, FL
Antique French Style Folding Wrought Iron Garden Table with Grapevine Motif, Oval Pierced Top, Circa 1900 A highly decorative antique folding wrought iron table, executed in the Fre...
Metal, Wrought Iron
Art Nouveau Wicker Step Table by Heywood-Wakefield, 1900
Located in Nashua, NH
A very rare natural finished Art Nouveau wicker step table with three shelves, American, C. 1900, with beautifully woven table surfaces on each shelf. . This is a one of a kind piece...
Cane, Wicker, Reed
Antique Side Table in Wrought Iron and Marble
Located in Tilburg, NL
Antique Side Table in Wrought Iron and Marble, late 19th century. This is a very elegant and tall side or bistrot table with a very handsome tripod base in patinated wrought iron an...
Marble, Wrought Iron
Original French Art Nouveau Marquetry Table ''Japonisme'' by Emile Galle 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Very rare original Emile Galle ''plate 66 Japonisme'' side table in Art Nouveau style. This beautiful side table was created by Emile Galle in 1900, during the art nouveau period. It features exquisite marquetry woodwork that is inspired by the Japonisme movement, which was influenced by Japanese art and design. The side table is decorated with breathtaking Magnolia flowers & a romantic couple of butterflies. Made from various types of wood, creating a unique scenery almost like a painting. The table showcases intricate details, such as delicate foliage and organic forms, that are hallmarks of art nouveau style. Galle was renowned for his innovative techniques and attention to detail, and this piece is a testament to his mastery of the craft. It is a stunning example of the art nouveau movement and a true work of art. Literature: ''Galle furniture by Alastair Duncan and Georges de Bartha 2012 Page 153. Plate 66. This Emile Galle table...
Walnut, Fruitwood, Rosewood
Sophisticated side coffee table, Jugendstil Art Nouveau, 1905, Vienna Austria
Located in Wien, AT
Stunning side table / coffee table from the Jugendstil / Art Nouveau era, a typical piece of furniture of Vienna, Austria. A wonderful original with an exciting, sophisticated cons...
Brass
1900s Original Side Table Bella Epoque by Fischel & Söhne Thonet style Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Vigonza, Padua
A little hard to find jewel of Belle Époque period by Fischel & Söhne Measures cm: H 70 x W 58 x D 37. Belle Epoque refined side table by Fischel & Söhne, bearing the incised maker...
Beech
A pair of Art Nouveau beech stained side tables with clover leaf style tops
Located in London, GB
A pair of Art Nouveau beech stained side tables with clover leaf style tops supported with whiplash uprights beside shaped aprons, flowing with elegant legs finishing on little pad f...
Beech
Wrought Iron and Stone Garden Patio Stand with Pebble Stone Top
Located in New York, NY
Interesting wrought iron stand with inset pebble stone top. The three leg base shows distinct Art Nouveau influence.
Stone, Wrought Iron
Art Nouveau French Bronze and Marble Circular Ostrich Leg-Shaped Side Table
Located in North Miami, FL
Early 20th century Art Nouveau French black patinated bronze and marble circular ostrich leg-shaped side table By: unknown Material: metal, copper, bronze, tin, marble, stone Techni...
Stone, Marble, Metal, Bronze, Copper, Tin
$1,197Sale Price|20% Off
French Paris Bistro Table Beech Bakelite & Brass Table, early 20th Century
Located in Labrit, Landes
This table was made and sold in a Parisian bistro. Meticulously crafted, it has been built to withstand the test of time and to welcome numerous customers. The bottom of the feet has...
Metal, Brass
Emile Galle French Art Nouveau Floral Marquetry Rotating Top Occasional Table
By Émile Gallé
Located in Queens, NY
French Art Nouveau occasional table with a circular top with shaped edge and floral marquetry inlay that rotates on a central axis, resting on four tapered sabre legs joined by a squ...
Wood
Vintage Salterini Wrought Iron Maple Leaf Garden Nesting Side Tables - Set of 3
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage John Salterini Art Nouveau Black Wrought Iron Maple Leaf Garden Nesting Tables - Set of 3 (2 pieces of plexiglass and 1 piece of real glass). Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurem...
Wrought Iron
Elegant French Brass Plant Table Art Nouveau Style
Located in Poperinge, BE
Elegant brass plant table with 2 levels, entirely in the typical floral and organic Art Nouveau style, France, first half of the 20th century. A high-quality and elegant object; the Art Nouveau style is characterized by asymmetry, graceful, organic, and flowing lines, often inspired by plants, flowers, and nature. This antique plant table...
Brass
Swedish Designer, Side Tables, Wood, Sweden, 1900s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of wood side tables designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1900s. Dimensions: 30.375” H x 26.8” W x 19” D
Wood
$2,339Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Side Table with Brass Accents, circa 1900
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Elegant side or salon table from the Art Nouveau period, around 1900, made of beautifully grained walnut. The circular top rests on four column-shaped supports that rise from a stepp...
Brass
Art Nouveau Side Table by Jacob & Josef Kohn, Bentwood, Austria, 1916
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Art Nouveau - Table or desk Measures : 110x64cm H:78cm This table is a creation of the Jacob & Josef Kohn company, dating from around 1916 - The belt is decorated with stylized fan ...
Bentwood
1910s Oval Viennese Occasional Table by Wiener Werkstätte, Solid Walnut Restored
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Early 20th century oval Viennese occasional table from Wiener Werkstätte, solid walnut restored, attributed to architect Josef Hoffmann designer Measures cm: H 76, W 70, D 52 "...
Walnut
Art Nouveau Side Table, Wood and Marble, circa 1900, Belgium.
By Victor Horta
Located in Brussels, BE
Nice Art Nouveau side table, circa 1900, Belgium. Curved dark tainted oak base and beautiful Ceppo rosso marble top. Dimensions: 40 cm w, 40 cm D, 44 cm H. Original condition, rare i...
Marble
Jugendstil Burled Birch Nightstand with Marble Top, Sweden, 1900
Located in New York, NY
Adorned with elegant burlwood veneers on all visible sides, both nightstands showcase a sophisticated aesthetic. The interior storage is generous, and the construction is impressivel...
Birch
Early 20th Century Italian Burr Wood Occasional Table
Located in London, London
An elegant Italian burr wood occasional table, dating to the early 20th century, notable for its fluid lines and refined decorative detail. The circular top sits above a frieze cent...
Burl
Very Fine Carved Solid Rosewood Faux Bamboo Lamp Table Two Chairs Set MINT!
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very Fine Carved Solid Rosewood Faux Bamboo Lamp Table Two Chairs Set MINT! table dimensions: 23" x 30" chair dimensions: 18" x 18" x 37" seat height: 18"
Rosewood
Side Table by Louis Majorelle, Nancy, Art Nouveau Period, Circa 1900.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Side table by Louis Majorelle, Nancy, Art Nouveau period, circa 1900. Two level side table, marquetry work with floral motifs by Louis Majorelle,...
Bronze
Art Nouveau Side Table in Walnut and Marble, France ca. 1915
Located in Meulebeke, BE
A graceful expression of early 20th‑century French design, this 1915 Art Nouveau side table unites the warmth of walnut with the cool refinement of marble in a form that feels both s...
Marble
Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Side Table, Marquetry Wood, France, Circa 1910
By Émile Gallé
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Art Nouveau table, made in marquetry, by Émile Gallé (1846-1904). Signed Galle France, CIRCA 1910.
Wood
1900s French Art Nouveau Wooden Side Table With Floral Top
Located in High Point, NC
This 1900s French Art Nouveau wooden side table captures the movement’s characteristic fluidity and handcrafted elegance. Its gently arched legs, connected by lattice-style stretcher...
Wood
Side, Coffee Cocktail Table by Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann Attributed
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Early 20th century Art Nouveau occasional side table, coffee and cocktail table by Wiener Werkstätte Josef Hoffmann designer attributed, in solid walnut, restored and wax polished. ...
Walnut
Adolf Loos Elephant Trunk Table, Wood and Copper, Austria, 1910s
By Adolf Loos
Located in Brussels, BE
Adolf Loos elephant trunk table, wood and copper, Austria, 1910s.
Wood
Art Nouveau Washstand Nightstand Cabinet Reminiscent of Louis Majorelle
By Louis Majorelle, Antoni Gaudí
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Wonderfully understated with some type of Agate or Quartzite Top, which we believe is original to the piece. This piece is signed under the drawer, Blaiff or Cliff Lager. Overall W...
Stone
Pair of Art Nouveau Thonet Side Tables - Vienna, 1904
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Girona, Girona
Pair of tripod and triangular side tables in stained and varnished solid beech, thick glass tops with fleur-de-lys motif. Production: Thonet, Vienna, model 9104 from 1904.
Glass, Beech