Johnathon Jaeger

Ms. Ehlert
Intro. to Art
4/11/14
Art Deco
In the Roaring Twenties there was a new art period that emerged Art Deco or Deco. Deco
is an influential visual art style. During the period of time I had to research this subject the actual
art period, the arts and artists involved in this period, finally I reflected what I think of this
artwork.
Art Deco was started in France just after World War I. This period flourished
internationally in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s before its popularity faded after World War II. It
emerged from the Interwar period of history when industrialization was transforming culture.
The style usually contains rich colors, bold geometric shapes, and lavish ornamentation.
Historian Bevis Hillier defined Art Deco as an assertively modern style that ran to symmetry
rather than asymmetry, and to the rectilinear rather than the curvilinear; it responded to the
machine and of new material and the requirements of mass production. Art Deco represented
many things during its primary time such as luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and
technological progress.
Deco was used a lot in architecture; in fact some of the most famous buildings came from
this period. This style was also used in the interior of buildings. The style is usually identified by
over-all symmetry, stepped rooflines, glass block, decorative sculptural panels, eyebrows, round
porthole windows, terrazzo floors, curved edges and corners, elements in groups of three, and
neon light( indoor and outdoor ). Deco buildings also have a sleek linear appearance with
stylized, often geometric ornamentation.
Artworks of this style are Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Chrysler
Building in New York City, The Cubist House in Salon dAutomne, and Foshay Tower and
Wells Fargo Center both in Minneapolis. All of these buildings have similar architectural styles
such as geometric shapes and making a type of pinnacle at the top. Some artists involved in this
period were Picasso, Fernand Leger, Braque, Tamara de Lempicka, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann,
Rene Lalique, and William Van Alen.
One of the many artists of this period was Pablo Picasso. He was born on 25 October
1881 in Malaga of Spain. In 1895 Picasso was traumatised when his seven-year-old sister,
Conchita, died of diphtheria. In 1897 his realism art became tinged with symbolist influence.
Picassos Blue Period, which was 1901-1904, was characterized by somber paintings rendered in
shades of blue and blue green. When his art was connected with was his Classical and Surrealism
Era. One of Picassos most famous artworks of this time was his depiction of the German
bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.
This artwork was very interesting to me. I realized that most of the buildings that stand
out to me are the ones from this period of time. Also this period takes place in my favorite time
in history to learn about. This was a very influential art period because many of the most famous
building and artworks are from this art period. I also learned that this is the art period of the
1920s and 1930s artwork I sometimes see.









Works Cited
Creative Commons. "Art Deco." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Nov. 2014. Web. 12
May 2014.
The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. "Art Deco (art Movement)."Encyclopedia Britannica
Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.
Juster, Randy. "History of Art Deco." History of Art Deco. Bryn Mawr College, 2003. Web. 11
May 2014.
Malyon, John. "Art Deco." Art Deco. N.p., 2012. Web. 12 May 2014.