Art Deco

This is the name adopted by the first astral but non-modernist style of the 20th century. It had a worldwide influence and influenced all of creation, by confronting traditional values with all forms of novelty.

A

Poster
Posters during the Art Deco period helped spread the style worldwide. Art Deco posters were often characterized by bold graphic designs and bright colors, as in this 1947 advertisement for Air France by Edmond Maurus.

Animal: Animals were often used as decorative motifs in Art Deco. The most common animal motifs were often symbols of power such as felines, leopards, and panthers, but the flamboyant symbol of the peacock was also popular.

B

Balcony
In Art Deco, the balcony or the balconette takes a very special place. It is a real architectural element, beyond its function. They were always characterized by geometric patterns and shapes combining curves and angles.

C

Colors
Colors were an important element of Art Deco. The most commonly used colors were black, white, gold (often on metal structures and wood), dark green and midnight blue (on fabrics, velvets, etc.). Colors were often used in a bright and contrasting way, with bold color combinations and graphic patterns.

Cupola
A dome is a hemispherical vault that covers a room or building. Art Deco domes were often characterized by geometric patterns and bold graphic designs that related to older architecture. Art Deco architects knew how to play with the pre-existing and brilliantly sublimate it by adding geometric and modern elements.

Movie theater
Cinema was an important medium in Art Deco, as it allowed the movement to be presented in all its forms and to be dazzlingly disseminated internationally. There are also examples of Art Deco cinema architecture such as the famous Grand Rex in Paris, which from 1932 onwards featured a sumptuous geometric and monumental façade.

G

Geometry
Geometry is a key element of the Art Deco aesthetic. Patterns are often very angular and precise, with geometric shapes such as triangles, squares, and circles fitting together perfectly.

L

Lines
Lines are a key element of the Art Deco aesthetic. Lines are often used vertically to give the impression of monumentality that is characteristic of this revolutionary industrial style.

O

Order
The highly organized and structured designs, with symmetrical arrangements, are indicative of the order that Art Deco brings, in contrast to Art Nouveau which is guided by a wilder nature.