The Art Nouveau Movement was an ornamental design style that was inspired by Japanese woodcut prints, ukiyo-e. This movement did not reject mechanized manufacturing as the Arts and Crafts movement did rather it reacted to industrialization by promoting artistic express through decorative aesthetics in all things, leading to the development of the poster as a legitimate art form. (Miller) The Art Nouveau movement demonstrated changes in the public’s notions of ideal femininity as well. that were driven by socioeconomic changes such as industrialization, urban expansion, and a growing division of labor, and an epistemic shift toward universal ideals of reason, freedom, and equality. (Blattner)

The Art Nouveau Movement looked to represent beautiful forms based closely on nature. (Blattner) The characteristic of Art Nouveau is undulating asymmetrical line influenced by organic form and color. The line is exaggerated yet elegant with a powerful rhythmic and whiplike appearance. In graphic arts, the line subordinates all other pictorial elements—form, texture, space, and color—to its own decorative effect. (Tikkanen) This movement did not reject mechanized manufacturing as the Arts and Crafts movement did rather it reacted to industrialization by promoting artistic express through decorative aesthetics in all things. Art Nouveau Movement was a shift towards modernity.

The Art Nouveau Movement depicted women as socially empowered, participating in masculine activities and very much present in the public sphere.

During the late 19th century Art Nouveau artists and designers pressed social and cultural traditions. Women too were challenging the social norms and the idea of feminine beauty. Portrayals of women in art created during the mid-nineteenth century reflected the societal notions of the “modest maiden,” elegant, submissive, and sexually repressed.

The Art Nouveau Movement depicted women as socially empowered, participating in masculine activities and very much present in the public sphere. The use of sensual imagery and floral motifs embody the idea of the emergence of a sexually liberated woman. (Blattner) The Art Nouveau Movement not only served as social commentary on the shift toward modernity, but it also illustrated the progress of liberation from traditional feminine roles.

Blattner, Sarah. "Alphonse Mucha And The Emergence Of The “New Woman” During The Belle Époque (1871–1914)". Digscholarship.Unco.Edu, 2015, http://digscholarship.unco.edu/urj/vol4/iss3/1.

Miller, Sarina. A Brief Survey Of Modern Design History. 2nd ed., Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2021, pp. Section 1: 1850-1910 Graphic Design, https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/brief-survey-modern-design-history, Accessed 6 Feb 2022.

Tikkanen, Amy. "Art Nouveau | History, Characteristics, Artists, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2021, https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Nouveau.