Art Nouveau - Art Déco: The movement Art Nouveau and the style Art Déco are often confused, as they succeed one another. The turning point is worthwhile to decipher, as the styles mix we quickly see how Art Déco moves quickly away from the characteristics of Art Nouveau to become its exact opposite.

The movement Art Nouveau appeared and spread across the globe from 1880, forming neighbouring or sister schools. The movement Art Nouveau, School of Nancy, was born when the Alsace and Moselle regions were annexed by the Prussians in 1871. Nancy, a French border town, was home to much of the intelligentsia who refused the annexation. These conditions in particular, as well as the presence here of an established artistic community, industrialists and entrepreneurs, led to the establishment of the School of Nancy.

The movement was weakened by the death of Emile Gallé in 1904 and we consider that World War One marked its end. With the between war period, came the style Art Deco (quite late here when compared to countries unaffected by the 1914-1918 war). The sub-division of the districts in Nancy was interrupted by war in 1914 and then recommenced in 1920’s. This is the reason that in districts such as Saurupt or Nancy Thermal, we have Art Nouveau villas standing side by side their Art Déco counterparts.

Why not come to Nancy to ‘test your eye’ at determining whether these remarkable buildings are in the style Art Nouveau or Art Deco?