Art Deco
A decorative style of luxury and geometric form.
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Art Deco, short for the French Arts décoratifs (lit. 'Decorative Arts'), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished internationally during the 1920s to early 1930s. It influenced the exterior and interior of anything from large structures to small objects, including clothing, fashion, and jewelry. During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress.
- field
- Visual arts, architecture, product design
- nationality
- French (originated in Paris)
- known_for
- Bold geometric forms, luxury materials, influence on buildings from skyscrapers
- heyday
- 1920s to early 1930s
- origin_event
- 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes in Pa
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Art Deco took its name, short for Arts Décoratifs, from the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes held in Paris. Its origins lie in the bold geometric forms of the Vienna Secession and Cubism. From the outset, it was influenced by the bright colors of Fauvism and the Ballets Russes, and the exoticized styles of art from China, Japan, India, Persia, ancient Egypt, and the Maya. The movement featured rare and expensive materials such as ebony and ivory, and exquisite craftsmanship. It also introduced new materials such as chrome plating, stainless steel, and plastic. The term 'Art déco' did not appear in print until 1966, in the title of the first modern exhibition on the subject, held by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris: *Les Années 25 : Art déco, Bauhaus, Stijl, Esprit nouveau*. It gained currency as a broadly applied stylistic label in 1968 when historian Bevis Hillier published the first major academic book on it, *Art Deco of the 20s and 30s*.
Reader's Guide
Art Deco's significance lies in its international reach and its embodiment of early 20th-century modernity and optimism. In New York, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and other buildings from the 1920s and 1930s are monuments to the style. The largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world is in Miami Beach, Florida. The style became more subdued during the Great Depression. A sleeker form appeared in the 1930s called Streamline Moderne, featuring curving forms and smooth, polished surfaces. After the outbreak of World War II, Art Deco lost its dominance to the functional and unadorned styles of modern architecture, in particular what is now called the International Style. The style's legacy endures in its distinctive geometric ornament and its influence on design from skyscrapers to vacuum cleaners.
Did You Know?
- The term 'Art déco' did not appear in print until 1966, in the title of an exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.
- Art Deco was tagged with other names in its time, such as style moderne, Moderne, modernistic, or style contemporain, and was not recognized as a distinct and homogeneous style.
- The largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world is in Miami Beach, Florida.
- New materials introduced by Art Deco included chrome plating, stainless steel, and plastic.
- The first concrete house was built in 1853 in the Paris suburbs by François Coignet, a technology key to Art Deco development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Art Deco?
Art Deco is a French-originated decorative style covering visual arts, architecture, and product design that first surfaced in Paris in the 1910s. The name is shorthand for the French phrase Arts décoratifs, taken from the 1925 Paris exhibition where the style was formally presented to a global audience.
What are Art Deco's powers/role?
Art Deco's reach extended from towering skyscrapers down to jewelry, clothing, and everyday objects, giving all of them a shared visual language. Its signature toolkit is bold geometric form, luxurious materials, and an overall mood of glamour and technological optimism.
How does Art Deco's story end?
The style's peak stretched from the 1920s into the early 1930s, after which it gradually ceded its dominant cultural position. The economic shock of the Great Depression and the shift toward simpler, more functional aesthetics in the mid-1930s effectively closed out its heyday.
Why is Art Deco important?
Art Deco captured a moment when luxury, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress were treated as design values, shaping both monumental public structures and small personal objects. Its geometric vocabulary and emphasis on craftsmanship left a lasting imprint on design language around the world.
Where did Art Deco come from?
The style was born in Paris in the 1910s, just before World War I, and was formally introduced to an international audience at the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes. From that Parisian showcase it spread across borders to become the defining decorative language of the 1920s and early 1930s.
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