Art Nouveau is French term for "new art" which originated in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It reached its popularity in around 1900, and ended in World War 1. In 1920 Art Deco replaced it. (http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm). Art Nouveau was was spread in many countries. First in France (Paris), reaching America, Australia, Germany and Italy. In Germany it was called Jugendstil (youth style) because of the German magazine "Jugend".
Art Nouveau was used widely with no differentiation, beginning from architecture, fine art, applied art and decorative art. It was used in variety of materials, in interior design, glassware, jewellery, poster design and illustration, painting and sculpture, reaching to ceramics and furniture. (http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm).
Art Nouveau introduced new forms for art which avoided historical traits. It included floral designs including plant forms, curvilinear and sometimes rectilinear designs which was more in Germany, Organic and dynamic forms and in general it was a part of everyday life. (http://katsclass.com/10760/designwk06.htm). No artists had to overlook any everyday object no matter what it is, that is why there where no difference between low cost materials and expensive materials in the work of art. Art Nouveau also emphasized symbolism. Japanese influence was clear on the works of Art Nouveau in the use of whitespace and simple forms.(http://katsclass.com/10760/designwk06.htm)
In 1894 German designers began to come up with new series of magazines. The first magazine Pan was published in Berlin in 1895 to promote the Art Nouveau in Germany. Julius Meier-Graefe (1867-1935) was one of its founders. Pan covered many favourite themes of Art Nouveau during its five years. The second magazine Jugend was published in 1896 by the publisher Georg Hirth (1841-1916). This is from where the term Jugendstil was used.(Eskilson, 2007, 93).
Peter Behrens (1868-1940) a German architect, painter and designer was born in Hamburg, Germany, and was at the forefront of Jugendstil. He studied in Hamburg, the painting at the School of Art in Karlsruhe, Dusseldorf and finally Munich. Behrens along with seven artists was invited by the Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse in Darmstadt in 1899 to form an artists' community called Mathildenhohe. From there he became interested in architecture. Behrens there designed all except one of the buildings. (Duncan, 1994, 28)
Posters in Jugendstil mainly developed in Munich. One of the most famous posters for Peter Behrens is the woodcut print The Kiss (1900). It demonstrates his ornamental, curvilinear style, where two profile androgynous figures framed with a dense arabesque of hair.(Eskilson, 2007, 93). Behrens has many other works that include jewellery designs, and glass where he produced a series of table lamps with lustrous shades and bronze or gilt-metal bases. (Gallagher, 2000, 116). Peter Behrens also designed furniture, he designed chairs for the German pavilion at the 1902 Turin Exposition. (Duncan, 1994, 69).
Peter Behrens was able to design his own house within its furnishing from 1900 until 1901 in the Mathildenhohe colony in Darmstadt. This was a great example of him using the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk "total work of art".(http://www.kettererkunst.com/bio/peter-behrens-1868.shtml). Another example was his work at the AEG Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (General Electricity Company). In 1907 Peter Behrens was appointed by the founder of the company, Emil Rathenau as an artist consultant. He hired Behrens to take the responsibility of designing all the products, architecture and graphic materials in a way that unifies the style of the company. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG). AEG then became the first company with complete 
corporate identity with all its products sharing common design features. That is how Peter Behrens became one of the first industrial designers. (Eskilson, 2007, 93). From that time he began designing their buildings. One of his most noticeable designs for the company was the logo with the three hexagons each containing an initial of the company's name, all inside a large hexagon. It is called the "honeycomb" logotype. (Eskilson, 2007, 93).
In 1899 Behrens first began experimenting with lettering from where he began with a great contribution to German typography. Behrens was convinced that, after architecture, typography "provided the most characteristic image of an age and the strongest evidence of its spiritual progress". (Polano, 2003, 53). Behrens began from his essay, Feste des Lebens und der Kunst (1900) where the text was composed in a sans-serif font, for the first time ever.
Behrens designed four typefaces all produced by the foundry of the Klingspor brothers. The first printed font for him was in 1902 which he called the Behrens-Schrift, it was similar to his neat handwriting. (Polano, 2003, 53). It was kind of between the Latin and Gothic. The second was in 1907, Behrens-Kursiv designed just after his move to Berlin. (Anderson, 2000, 92). For the AEG, Behrens designed a special typeface for its exclusive use in 1908 called Behrens-Antiqua. The last typeface he designed was in 1914, Behrens-Mediaeval. (Polano, 2003, 54).
In general Peter Behrens contributed alot to the Jugenstil, working widely in all its areas. I like the way he went from one area to another, and in every artwork he did, he left his foot prints, wether it is a building, painting, or even a logo. After his work in AEG he became more well known because he designed everything related to the company in a unified way. He made every single thing in the company related to the other, from where he became the first industrial designer.
Bibliography:
AEG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2010). Retrieved February 21, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG
Anderson, S. (2000). Peter Behrens and a New Architecture for the Twentieth Century. America: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Art Nouveau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2010). Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau#Germany
Art Nouveau. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm
Design and Cultures 1. (2004). Retrieved February 20, 2010, from
http://katsclass.com/10760/designwk06.htm
Duncan, A. (1994). Art Nouveau. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Eskilson, S. (2007). Graphic Design A New History. North America: Yale University Press.
Gallagher, F. (2000). Christie's Art Nouveau. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications.
Peter Behrens. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2010, from http://www.kettererkunst.com/bio/peter-behrens-1868.shtml
Polano, S. (2003). Abc of the 20th century grahics. Milano: Electa Architecture Mondadori Electa spa.
Art Nouveau was used widely with no differentiation, beginning from architecture, fine art, applied art and decorative art. It was used in variety of materials, in interior design, glassware, jewellery, poster design and illustration, painting and sculpture, reaching to ceramics and furniture. (http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm).
Art Nouveau introduced new forms for art which avoided historical traits. It included floral designs including plant forms, curvilinear and sometimes rectilinear designs which was more in Germany, Organic and dynamic forms and in general it was a part of everyday life. (http://katsclass.com/10760/designwk06.htm). No artists had to overlook any everyday object no matter what it is, that is why there where no difference between low cost materials and expensive materials in the work of art. Art Nouveau also emphasized symbolism. Japanese influence was clear on the works of Art Nouveau in the use of whitespace and simple forms.(http://katsclass.com/10760/designwk06.htm)In 1894 German designers began to come up with new series of magazines. The first magazine Pan was published in Berlin in 1895 to promote the Art Nouveau in Germany. Julius Meier-Graefe (1867-1935) was one of its founders. Pan covered many favourite themes of Art Nouveau during its five years. The second magazine Jugend was published in 1896 by the publisher Georg Hirth (1841-1916). This is from where the term Jugendstil was used.(Eskilson, 2007, 93).
Peter Behrens (1868-1940) a German architect, painter and designer was born in Hamburg, Germany, and was at the forefront of Jugendstil. He studied in Hamburg, the painting at the School of Art in Karlsruhe, Dusseldorf and finally Munich. Behrens along with seven artists was invited by the Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse in Darmstadt in 1899 to form an artists' community called Mathildenhohe. From there he became interested in architecture. Behrens there designed all except one of the buildings. (Duncan, 1994, 28)
Posters in Jugendstil mainly developed in Munich. One of the most famous posters for Peter Behrens is the woodcut print The Kiss (1900). It demonstrates his ornamental, curvilinear style, where two profile androgynous figures framed with a dense arabesque of hair.(Eskilson, 2007, 93). Behrens has many other works that include jewellery designs, and glass where he produced a series of table lamps with lustrous shades and bronze or gilt-metal bases. (Gallagher, 2000, 116). Peter Behrens also designed furniture, he designed chairs for the German pavilion at the 1902 Turin Exposition. (Duncan, 1994, 69).
Peter Behrens was able to design his own house within its furnishing from 1900 until 1901 in the Mathildenhohe colony in Darmstadt. This was a great example of him using the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk "total work of art".(http://www.kettererkunst.com/bio/peter-behrens-1868.shtml). Another example was his work at the AEG Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (General Electricity Company). In 1907 Peter Behrens was appointed by the founder of the company, Emil Rathenau as an artist consultant. He hired Behrens to take the responsibility of designing all the products, architecture and graphic materials in a way that unifies the style of the company. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG). AEG then became the first company with complete 
corporate identity with all its products sharing common design features. That is how Peter Behrens became one of the first industrial designers. (Eskilson, 2007, 93). From that time he began designing their buildings. One of his most noticeable designs for the company was the logo with the three hexagons each containing an initial of the company's name, all inside a large hexagon. It is called the "honeycomb" logotype. (Eskilson, 2007, 93).In 1899 Behrens first began experimenting with lettering from where he began with a great contribution to German typography. Behrens was convinced that, after architecture, typography "provided the most characteristic image of an age and the strongest evidence of its spiritual progress". (Polano, 2003, 53). Behrens began from his essay, Feste des Lebens und der Kunst (1900) where the text was composed in a sans-serif font, for the first time ever.
Behrens designed four typefaces all produced by the foundry of the Klingspor brothers. The first printed font for him was in 1902 which he called the Behrens-Schrift, it was similar to his neat handwriting. (Polano, 2003, 53). It was kind of between the Latin and Gothic. The second was in 1907, Behrens-Kursiv designed just after his move to Berlin. (Anderson, 2000, 92). For the AEG, Behrens designed a special typeface for its exclusive use in 1908 called Behrens-Antiqua. The last typeface he designed was in 1914, Behrens-Mediaeval. (Polano, 2003, 54).
In general Peter Behrens contributed alot to the Jugenstil, working widely in all its areas. I like the way he went from one area to another, and in every artwork he did, he left his foot prints, wether it is a building, painting, or even a logo. After his work in AEG he became more well known because he designed everything related to the company in a unified way. He made every single thing in the company related to the other, from where he became the first industrial designer.
Bibliography:
AEG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2010). Retrieved February 21, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG
Anderson, S. (2000). Peter Behrens and a New Architecture for the Twentieth Century. America: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Art Nouveau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2010). Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau#Germany
Art Nouveau. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm
Design and Cultures 1. (2004). Retrieved February 20, 2010, from
http://katsclass.com/10760/designwk06.htm
Duncan, A. (1994). Art Nouveau. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Eskilson, S. (2007). Graphic Design A New History. North America: Yale University Press.
Gallagher, F. (2000). Christie's Art Nouveau. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications.
Peter Behrens. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2010, from http://www.kettererkunst.com/bio/peter-behrens-1868.shtml
Polano, S. (2003). Abc of the 20th century grahics. Milano: Electa Architecture Mondadori Electa spa.
