Art Nouveau and the Erotic

This brief book (or sustained essay) cover wide ranges in many directions. One axis covers many media, including painting, jewelry, furniture, printmaking, sculpture, architecture, and photography. In another direction, this book spans sensuality, blatant eroticism, commercialism, romantic appeal, and a topic or two that I found disturbing. Some, like Klimt's "Danae" on the cover, fall into more than one of those categories. Wood's commentary is helpful but secondary. It establishes some of the historical context in which the collected pieces arose. The text also shows relationships between this book's visual art and contemporary work in dance, writing, and theater. The artworks themselves are what matter to me, though, including many works and artists with which I was unfamiliar. Pieces like Courbet's "L'Origine du Monde", Rodin's "Iris", and Carabin's carvings are a bit much for many venues, so I'm very glad to see them presented here. And I see why the Nouveau movement passed so quickly - Wood points out clearly that its sensuality inevitably led to a buttoned-down backlash that wouldn't even name the target of its objections. Although this presents a limited and one-sided view of Art Nouveau, it presents a new and interesting view. //wiredweird

Both scholarly and superficially exciting, Art Nouveau and the Erotic presents a comprehensive look at the seductive iconography of the Art Nouveau style. Ghislaine Wood argues that "only Imperial Rome and the end of France's Ancien Regime begin to rival (the period's) hedonism" and illustrates her point with a tantalizing array of images. Neglecting neither the familiar (Beardsley, Klimt, Mucha) nor the comparatively obscure (Bouval, Day, Carabin), Wood vividly demonstrates the fin de siecle preoccupation with sexuality. Leaving no stone unturned, she explores feminist, homoerotic, and androgynous perspectives, giving much needed exposure to marginalized artists who were once considered highly provocative. In comparison to other scholarly material, Art Nouveau and the Erotic is an invaluable secondary resource. With an inviting, accessible text, it is also well-suited to the mainstream reader.

Very interesting review of the Art Nouveau period, plus additional historical and period information not always included in overviews of this period of art and history.