By Louise Irvine

Sensual renditions of the female form inspired the decorative arts of the Art Nouveau era. Artistic homes at the turn of the last century featured scantily clad figures of alluring maidens by European porcelain designers. The Art Nouveau gallery at WMODA features several large terracotta statues by Goldscheider, depicting classical maidens in flowing drapery inspired by celebrated artists such as Alphonse Mucha.

Friedrich Goldscheider opened factories in Vienna and Paris and established a reputation for his artistic terracotta sculptures at European exhibitions during the 1890s. Goldscheider patented a process for patinated bronze terracotta, which gave clay the appearance of bronze, considered a more “noble material” at the time. By the time Friedrich died in 1897, the Goldscheider factories were exporting artwork for the interior decoration of fashionable homes to “all countries and continents.” A wide range of sculptures depicting women, from classical maidens to female warriors, was presented at the groundbreaking Paris Exposition of 1900, which celebrated the Art Nouveau style.

The work of the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha was much in evidence throughout this exhibition, from posters, graphic art, and murals to jewelry and sculpture. Mucha began his career painting scenery for theaters in Vienna and demonstrated his skill at rendering the female form and lush botanical backgrounds. He studied art in Munich and Paris, and in the early 1890s, he began illustrating magazines and books, including Le Costume au Théâtre, where he first portrayed the actress Sarah Bernhardt in her role as Cleopatra. In 1894, the “Divine Sarah” commissioned Mucha to produce a poster of her as Gismonda that was more than life-size, and it caused a sensation when it appeared on the streets of Paris. Miss Bernhardt ordered 4,000 copies of the poster and gave Mucha a six-year contract. He designed posters for each of her successive plays, which helped establish his reputation as an international artist.

Sarah Bernhardt was also a major patron and muse for René Lalique, who created spectacular jewelry for her stage roles and personal collection in the mid-1890s.  The actress and courtesan’s unique style and patronage helped establish Lalique's reputation as a master jeweler and drove the popularity of his Art Nouveau jewelry among society women.  When Lalique turned his attention to glass in the early 1900s, he continued to be inspired by flora, fauna and the female form, portraying classical goddesses in flowing robes. WMODA has some of Lalique’s sensual early statuettes in frosted opalescent glass. Perhaps his most celebrated sculpture is the nude dancer Suzanne in Art Deco style, holding a translucent veil in her outstretched arms.

Noke also used the Vellum porcelain body to create a series of table ornaments inspired by Walter Crane, the British Arts & Crafts designer. Crane’s influential book Flora’s Feast, A Masque of Flowers was first published in 1889 and Noke’s Wild Rose designs were acclaimed at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. They were made for several years at Doulton’s Burslem studio in various sizes and decorative treatments. The Paris World’s Fair enhanced Walter Crane’s international reputation. He received a gold medal for his exhibition work, which included Pilkington tile panels of the Five Senses reminiscent of Alphonse Mucha and a lavish wallpaper design depicting peacocks.

Perhaps it was at the Paris World’s Fair that Noke became captivated by Loie Fuller, the American dancer who became a blazing symbol of the European Belle Epoque and the personification of Art Nouveau. La Loie was the toast of the Folies Bergères in Paris with her famous serpentine dance, and her groundbreaking choreography evolved into a frenzied manipulation of dramatically lit fabric, supported by bamboo poles, to elongate her arms. Her swirling, voluminous silk costumes and magical lighting effects seemed to transform her into a butterfly or a lily earning her the nickname “Electric Fairy.” She performed her Serpentine Dance in her own theater at the Paris Exposition and the whiplash curves of the Art Nouveau architecture matched the flowing curves of her dance. The Sèvres porcelain factory produced a series of 15 figures of La Loie in motion, which inspired Noke’s rare Tambourine Dancer, now at WMODA.

Read more about the maidens and muses of the Art Nouveau era at WMODA

The Dancer | Wiener Museum

Glamorous Goldscheider'S Golden Debut | Wiener Museum

Watch Loie Fuller dancing

See the Timeless Mucha exhibition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art until March 1.