Art Deco vs Art Nouveau
アール・デコ / アール・ヌーヴォー
Both fill the frame with ornament and put stylized plants and female figures in the lead, as European decorative styles applied to everything.
How to tell them apart. Look at the outline of the ornament. Art Nouveau runs one asymmetric curve that never repeats, while Art Deco repeats straight edges and fans in mirror symmetry.
Art Deco
Stages urban luxury with repeating geometry and a metallic sheen.
Art Nouveau
Joins letters, figures and ornament into one flowing, plant-like line.
| Art Deco | Art Nouveau | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1920s–1930s | 1890s–1910s |
| Family | Historical Styles | Historical Styles |
| Kind | Style | Style |
| Cues | Symmetry / Radiating lines / Stepped motifs / Gold and black | Botanical curves / Ornamental frames / Female figures / Muted natural colors |
| Best used for | Giving an event a sense of occasion · Producing instant classic luxury | Speaking of craft and handwork · Leading with beauty and narrative |
| Type | Tall, narrow geometric display type | Curvilinear serifs or hand lettering |
| Composition | Centered, symmetrical composition | Vertical formats, frame compositions, a central figure |
| Material | Black, gold, ivory; repeated hairlines | Dusty greens and gold, line work, paper texture |
| Caution | Too much ornament turns theme-park. Let white space carry the dignity. | Stock vine ornaments stay superficial. Carry the line through the whole composition. |