Speed, Style & Art Deco

Historic events often lead to new art trends. In fact, World War I helped give rise to Art Deco. When the war ended on November 11, 1918, shouts of joy were heard around the world as people gathered in the streets to celebrate. The mood of the time—with a focus on peace, stability, prosperity, and a bigger and better future for everyone—became the foundation for Art Deco.

After the war, people believed that life should be enjoyed. With advances in mass production, everyday objects could be as beautiful as the art in museums. So artists and designers continued the work begun during the Art Nouveau era, blurring the lines between fine art and decorative art. They applied visual elements of Art Deco—such as geometric patterns, hard edges, flat colors, and stylized depictions of people—to everything from clocks to architecture. The result? A period of affordable luxury.

Historic events often lead to new art trends. World War I gave rise to Art Deco. When the war ended in 1918, people wanted peace and a more stable future.

People at the time thought life should be enjoyed. New technology made it easier to mass produce things. As a result, everyday objects could be as beautiful as fine art. So artists blurred the lines between fine art and decorative art.

Art Deco artists used geometric patterns and hard edges. They worked with flat colors and stylized depictions of people. These elements helped them create luxurious objects that more people could afford.

People in the 1920s wanted to forget the war in the recent past and focus on the future. But the distant past was also a huge influence on Art Deco—partly because of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922. This discovery led to a worldwide fascination with ancient Egypt. For example, Cartier’s 1927 Egyptian Striking Clock, above, is based on the ancient Khonsu Temple in Karnak, Egypt.

Ancient Greece also had an influence on Art Deco. Look at the vessels holding the flowers and the diamonds in Erté’s 1927 design for a magazine cover, below. The shapes of and image on each vessel are inspired by Greek pottery. And the expressionless, stylized woman is reminiscent of an ancient Greek statue.

In the 1920s, people focused on the future. But the past still influenced Art Deco. That’s partly because King Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922. People became interested in ancient Egypt. Look at Cartier’s 1927 Egyptian Striking Clock, above. It’s based on an ancient temple gate in Egypt.

Ancient Greece also influenced Art Deco works. Look at the pots holding the flowers and diamonds on the magazine cover below. A French artist named Erté designed it in 1927. The shapes and designs of the pots are inspired by Greek pottery. And the stylized woman looks like an ancient Greek statue.

Order—in contrast to the frenzy of war—is a common theme in Art Deco. Erté composes his image with balanced areas of flat color and hard edges. The background is reduced to just two flat colors: reddish brown and black.

The symmetry in Cartier’s clock and in A.M. Cassandre’s 1935 Normandie, below, is even more exacting. In both works, only minor details, such as the different numbers on the clock face and the flock of seagulls on the poster, disrupt what would otherwise be near perfect vertical symmetry.

War is chaotic. As a result, order is a theme of Art Deco. Erté composes his image with hard edges and areas of flat color. The background is just two solid colors: reddish brown and black. The result is a calm and balanced scene.

Art Deco also embraced symmetry. Look at Cartier’s clock and A.M. Cassandre’s 1935 work Normandie, below. Both are almost perfectly symmetrical. Only minor details disrupt the balance.

With the end of the war, people wanted to live their lives to the fullest. And that meant experiencing the best that modern technology had to offer. They dreamed of traveling across the sea on a magnificent ship, such as the Normandie, or speeding down the road, carefree, in a luxury car, as Tamara de Lempicka is in her 1929 Self-Portrait (Tamara in the Green Bugatti), below. The artist creates an overall sense that this painting—and the woman pictured—is bold and modern.

When the war ended, people embraced modern technology. Maybe they wanted to speed down the road in a shiny luxury car. That’s what Tamara de Lempicka does in her 1929 work below. It’s called Self-Portrait (Tamara in the Green Bugatti). The painting and its subject are bold and modern.

Perhaps there is no better example of this “reaching for new heights” postwar mindset than the Chrysler Building. When construction finished in 1930, it was the tallest building in the world—thanks to recent advances in steel-frame technology. The sleek, streamlined steel “crown” symbolically points to an even greater and more exciting future. Yet the triangular windows along the crown create a pattern that evokes those in ancient Egyptian art. They also convey the same symmetrical order as Cartier’s clock and the Normandie poster.

Look at the examples shown here. How does each one visually illustrate the values of the Art Deco era?

When it comes to reaching new heights, there’s no topping the Chrysler Building. Construction on this skyscraper finished in 1930. At the time, it was the tallest building in the world. The skyscraper is topped with a streamlined steel “crown.” The triangular windows along the crown create a pattern. It looks like the ones in ancient Egyptian art. The windows also add order, just like in Cartier’s clock and the Normandie poster.

Look at the works here. How do they reflect the values of Art Deco?