Art Nouveau vs Arts and Crafts
アール・ヌーヴォー / アーツ・アンド・クラフツ
Art Nouveau comes from Historical Styles and Arts and Crafts from Craft Movements. Both are read here as style. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.
Art Nouveau
Joins letters, figures and ornament into one flowing, plant-like line.
Arts and Crafts
Returns material and handwork to the center of design, joining every detail of daily life under one conviction.
| Art Nouveau | Arts and Crafts | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1890s–1910s | 1860s–1910s |
| Family | Historical Styles | Craft Movements |
| Kind | Style | Style |
| Cues | Botanical curves / Ornamental frames / Female figures / Muted natural colors | Repeating plants / Flat contours / Density of handwork / Colors from nature |
| Best used for | Speaking of craft and handwork · Leading with beauty and narrative | Honesty for long-lived tools and household brands · Uniting pattern, letter and material in one story |
| Type | Curvilinear serifs or hand lettering | Serifs or ornamented letters that feel hand-cut |
| Composition | Vertical formats, frame compositions, a central figure | Repeat plants and creatures with the seams hidden |
| Material | Dusty greens and gold, line work, paper texture | Deep indigo, plant-dye tones, off-white; keep the texture of paper and cloth |
| Caution | Stock vine ornaments stay superficial. Carry the line through the whole composition. | A floral print alone loses the conviction. Align material, making and a structure that lasts. |