The exhibition (La Belle Époque de l’Art Nouveau) shows various aspects of the great artistic movement that shaped the architecture and art of Europe between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Between the end of the 19th century and the First World War (1914-1918), Europe experienced years of peace (La Belle Epoque). Prosperity, scientific and technical discoveries, and progress belief all pointed in one direction until 1914.
Artists participated fully in the renewal of society in Paris and Vienna, Munich, and, for example, Brussels. Art Nouveau rejected the past forms and challenged classical culture with a different way of perceiving and representing the everyday living and working environment.
Art Nouveau (Jugendstil in German) did not limit itself to aesthetic and formal changes but also social changes. It was an artistic movement that radically marked the beginning of the 20th century.
Its effort to reform society through the beauty of objects accessible and visible to everyone was widely disseminated in subways, streets, (public) buildings and through its favourite media, posters, magazines, and prints.
The well-documented exhibition features some of the most influential artists, including Jules Chéret, Edvard Munch, Pierre Bonnard, Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka.