Art Nouveau – Jugendstil

By Howard Shakespeare

Published in print (with additional illustrations) in ‘Scripophily’, the journal of the International Bond & Share Society , August 1998

Copyright ã International Bond & Share Society 2001

Although bonds and shares have usually reflected current tastes in art, Art Nouveau was the first universal fashion in art to directly influence the designs. This style had its beginnings in England, in industrial design (such as the wallpapers of William Morris), the aim being to give aesthetic value to practical objects. The movement came to influence painting, sculpture, architecture, industrial design, commercial art, fashion and much else. It grew in the 1890s, especially in Paris, Brussels and Barcelona, and spread worldwide. The movement had different names in different countries ; it was (and still is) known in Germany as ‘Jugendstil’, from the Munich art magazine Jugend, first published in 1896. It was ‘Modern Style’ in Britain (though now ‘Art Nouveau’), ‘Sezessionstil’ in Austria, ‘Liberty’ in Italy, and ‘Modernista’ in Spain.

Art Nouveau spread to the USA, although it is seldom seen in American scripophily. The British bonds and shares of the period were mostly plain, so the style is rarely seen on them. It follows, therefore, that Continental European material was most influenced by Art Nouveau. It is indeed from France, Belgium and Spain, and perhaps Austria, that we see most of the finest paper of this style, with some from other European countries also. The share of Home-Décor, regarded by some as perhaps the finest Art Nouveau piece, is from Switzerland.

This (for the wealthy, at least) was the ‘belle époque’ - a time of peace and prosperity, where many people felt confident and comfortable. Romance and luxury abounded in the prosperous cities and resorts. Art reflected thse feelings, and the idealised world of Art Nouveau is distinguished by free-flowing, swirling lines, with an imaginative and luxurious use of flowers, and elegant and beautiful young women with lavish dress, jewellery and hair-styles. Colours are soft and delicate, the tone ephemeral, fragile and charming.

There were many artists who made their reputations during this period, and a number of them designed bonds and shares (among much other work). For scripophilists, much the best-known of these artists is Alphonse Mucha, a Czech who worked mostly in Paris. He created a phenomenal number of posters, menus, calendars, etc., but also outstanding share certificates and insurance policies. Among his best known are certificates of the Paris-France Company and the insurance policies of Slavia. Other Art Nouveau artists known to collectors are Ramon Casas (the well-known Hispano-Suiza shares), and Paul Cauchie (whose fine Belgian shares include Hortus and also Eaux Minérales de Genval).

Outside scripophily, the movement included the paintings of Pissarro, Bonnard and Klimt, the sculpture of Rodin, the architecture of Gaudi, the glassware of Tiffany, the jewellery of Lalique (but not his later glassware, which is Art Déco in style) and the graphic art of Toulouse-Lautrec and Aubrey Beardsley. However, many other famous artists, such as Van Gogh and Cézanne, used the style to one degree or another.

Art Nouveau faded with the public mood, as the threat of World War I came closer. A harsh, realistic approach to life brought a similar style to European design, including that of bonds and shares, leading in time to the Art Déco movement.

The best Art Nouveau bonds and shares are in great demand, and, in many cases, are rare, too, so they command high prices when they appear in auctions.

This text is copyright protected. If you wish to use on the web or in print – for any purpose whatsoever – any part of this text or any of the illustrations, you must obtain prior written permission from the editor of the International Bond & Share Society (editor@scripophily.org) and give written notification to the Centrum Voor Scriptophilie (e.boone@glo.be). Infraction is not only morally totally reprehensible towards the authors and publishers who invested much effort and time in their research and writing, it will also be legally pursued.