By 1925, two completely different and contending schools coexisted within the Art Deco movement. These schools were made up of the traditionalists and the modernists. The traditionalists, who had originally established the Society of Decorative Artists, included furniture designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, interior designer Jean Dunant, sculptor Antoine Bordello, and designer Paul Poirot.

Art Deco, which originated in Paris, is one of the most memorable of all design movements thanks to its modern feel and use of mathematical and geometric shapes. Oddly the actual label of 'Art Deco' was not popularised until 1968 when art historian Bevis Hillier published a book called Art Deco of the 20s and 30s.While Art Deco emphasized the features of speed, power, and progression, its artworks were contrasted with the lighter and more delicate elements of the previous Art Nouveau movement to create a truly unique style. Art Nouveau, which was a predominant style before the First World War, was heavily inspired by the natural world and incorporated things like winding vines, flower petals, and flowy waves in the artworks created. This celebration of organic shapes differed greatly from the clean and geometric style of Art Deco. Based on this style, the Art Deco movement was less connected to the traditional supposedly superior forms of art that were made up of painting and sculpture. Art Deco-style study of the Maharajah d’Indore Mobiliers by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, 1932; Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons As Art Deco design was influenced by industrialization and the technical advancements in society, artworks displayed approval for the modernity of the machine and the innate design qualities of machine-made objects. This led to Art Deco primarily being experimented within design, furniture, architecture, and buildings.

The Art Deco definition was used in a positive way for the first time by British critic and art historian, Bevis Hillier. His definitive use of the term “Art Deco” in his first book, Art Deco of the 20s and 30s, properly cemented the name into art history. Representing modernism that was turned into fashion, Art Deco exists as one of the first truly international styles. The purpose behind the artworks was to create a stylish and anti-traditional form of refinement that represented wealth and sophistication. Art Deco marked a time of newly discovered optimism after World War One and oriented itself towards the future and contemporary notions of progress. Art Deco-style glassware, c. 1899-1930; National Library of Norway, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsWithin this traveling cohort, Hoover included important figures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Institute of Architecture, as well as several individuals from The New York Times. This trip to Europe went on to inspire an almost instantaneous expansion in artistic innovation and creation in the United States. As the Art Deco movement continued, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann appeared to be the forerunner in furniture. The modernists established their own organization in 1929, which was called the French Union of Modern Artists. Creatives within this group included Pierre Chateau, Francis Jourdain, Le Corbusier, and Sonia Delaunay. The prominence of the Art Deco era rose and fell in between the two World Wars, with the style playing an important role in molding the West’s modern vision. This was particularly noticeable in France and the United States, where the influence of the Art Deco style could be seen in the types of architecture that were used. One of the major goals of this group was to contest the hierarchical organization of the visual arts that demoted decorative artists to an inferior status when compared to the more traditional painting and sculpting forms.

This group argued that well-made buildings, for example, should be accessible and convenient to everyone no matter their financial status, and that form should automatically follow function. Based on this, the elegance and charm of an object or building rested upon whether it was perfectly capable of fulfilling its function and not related to the art audience who would most likely be viewing the works. The use of lines to denote movement, made famous by Futurist artists, was used by Art Deco creatives in the form of parallel lines and narrowing forms to indicate the concept of balance and streamlining. Art Deco architecture is therefore distinguished by hard-edged and often amply decorated designs emphasized by lustrous metal accents. Many of the buildings designed using the features of Art Deco architecture have an upright emphasis, as they were built in a way that meant to draw the eyes of those walking on the streets upwards. This was because the Art Deco style was treated as the “Cinderella” of the art world – supposedly inadequate in comparison to the other forms of art that existed. Based on this, the purpose of the exposition was to introduce the new type of decorative art that had formed but was postponed for several reasons until 1925.Another prominent feature of Art Deco art was the furniture that was produced during the movement’s era. It was not until the late 1920s that the concept of furniture was even explored, with the avant-garde Art Nouveau furniture designs going on to inspire the up-and-coming Art Deco creatives. The types of furniture that were then created under the new Art Deco style proved to be more basic and less arched in design, with modernity existing as the main message. As it worked to integrate advanced styles with exceptional artistry and decadent materials, Art Deco went on to represent opulence, elegance, vitality, and trust in the social and technological progress that occurred in its prime. However, one of Lalique’s most well-known glass sculptures was “Victoire”, which he created in 1928. Many artists participated in the Art Deco movement, ranging from painters, sculptors, interior designers, furniture makers, and architects. Below, we will be taking a look at several notable creatives who created significant artworks within the Art Deco period and whose influence is still discussed today.