Early 20th Century
A la Mode

Watercolour and Gouache on laid paper, signed and addressed to ‘Pat’ bottom right
Image size: 10 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches (26 x 19.5 cm)
Mounted
£450

Influenced by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s work at the start of the twentieth century

Art Nouveau style of flat, organic forms. Bright graphic work. Popular between 1890 and 1910. Characterised by its sense of dynamism and movement. However, also a focus on natural forms and the sinuous curves of plants and flowers.

Here Art Deco influence – around the same time in the 1910s in France with it flourishing in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. Crossed various forms of art including sculpture and architecture but also appear early in the graphic arts in the years just before World War I. First appearing in Paris in poster and costume designs. The popular design style was characterised by sleek geometric stylised forms and by the use of man-made materials. The style represented elegance, glamour and functionality.