

The Edwardian Era
(1901-1919)
The Edwardian era
corresponds with the reign of
King
Edward VII, whose short-lived governance (1901-1910) preceded the modern
House of Windsor in England. The "Edwardian" style broadly encompasses the
years of 1901 through 1919. One author described the Edwardian era in the
following vein: "The end of the century brought the dawning of a new age and
a new attitude toward life. It was an era when social differences dissipated
and the mores, customs, and expectations of the citizenry came together."
The Edwardian era was a historical moment of tremendous technological and
social change. The wonders of the modern world, which had only sprang into
being in the 1880s and 1890's, brought the first rewards of modern
industrialization and mass-produced abundance. Americans during the
Edwardian age experienced new-found wealth and indulged in cuisine, fashion,
entertainment and travel as never before. Perhaps the
Edwardian era was best captured in the Titanic, the grand ocean liner which
embodied the human progress, opulence, and excesses of the time. The
Edwardian era is aptly remembered as the "Gilded Age."
This period saw a variety of artistic movements such
as Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism and Futurism; and
toward the end of the period, Dadaism, De Stijl and Constructivism. However,
perhaps the most popular, at least in mainstream America and Europe, was Art
Nouveau. This new style of design in architecture, furniture, clothing,
commercial art, and household articles entered the scene at the turn of the
century, propelled by the enterprising spirit of Siegfried Bing, an elusive
and brilliant connoisseur in Paris. The style was characterized by patterns and motifs inspired by nature and expressed in exuberant colors, forms, and
lines. Artists whose names
became synonymous with the style include the
American Louis C. Tiffany, renowned for his stained
glass windows and Favrile glass; the Austrian Gustav Klimt, recognized for
his passionate, colourful paintings; the French Toulouse-Lautrec, famed for
his posters of the demimonde, the Café-Concerts and Montmartre; Belgian
Victor Horta, French Alphonse Mucha and Hector Guimard, celebrated for their
architechtural genius displayed in their Metro stations; and Spanish Antonio
Gaudi, known for his popular illustrations. Art Nouveau appealed especially
to the enlightened elite and nouveau riches of the Edwardian era, whose
tastes, uninhibited by tradition, encouraged designers to stylistic
excesses. However, these patrons soon tired of the "new art", and the style
was considered out of fashion and tacky before the first World War.
Extracted from
Eras of Elegance
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