Inventing the Modern World: TEXT PANELS

Inventing the Modern World: TEXT PANELS Revival and (Re)invention At the 19th-century world’s fairs, many of the manufacturers’ stands were filled with objects laden with historical associations. A fascination with archaeology of the ancient world as well as popular interest in the art and literature of the Middle Ages and pre-Revolutionary France spawned imaginative revival styles, such as Renaissance, Gothic, and Rococo. Each style was imbued with cultural meaning and was often used in America to instill a European legitimacy on the young country’s artistic heritage. Objects in revival styles demonstrated the relevance of motifs and forms from the past on the decorative arts of the present. The succession of revivals also coincided with advancements in machine production, thus uniting the past with modern industry. Decorative arts were now more accessible and affordable, displaying the most current manufacturing methods, and consumers benefited from a greater variety of goods. Avant-garde processes of the time were often displayed through historical patterns and styles, such as Rococo swirls in cast-iron designs by Thomas Jeckyll and Thomas Warren and classically shaped electroplated metals by Elkington & Co. and Ferdinand Barbedienne Foundry. Revivalism became the platform for debuting inventive and progressive technologies that contributed to an increasingly modern world. Historicism: Imitation and Cunning Reproductions Artists who made objects in historicist styles for the world’s fairs sought to obtain the highest level of craftsmanship; many borrowed literally from the past and implemented or re-created ancient techniques. Some objects were so exact in their reproduction that they invited comparisons to originals. Alessandro Castellani’s archaeological jewelry was directly based on specimens unearthed from Etruscan tombs, while Antonio Cortelazzo’s Renaissance-style damascened wares were often mistaken as authentic. Other objects, such as Salviati & Co.’s designs drawn from Venetian glass, moved beyond mere reproduction to imbue historic methods with a 19th-century aesthetic. Long-forgotten processes, made anew, were relevant for demonstrating dexterity and skill. This was particularly true of techniques taken from the Renaissance, an era praised for its intelligent designs and architectural character. Giovanni Battista Gatti’s ivory and stone inlay imitated pietra dura designs of the 16th and 17th centuries, while Charles Duron and Jean-Valentin Morel revitalized the goldsmith and lapidary arts of the same period. Deceiving imitations and pure revival of ancient methods remained largely a 19th-century phenomenon, yet the use of historical precedent in new materials and processes continued at the fairs well into the 20th century. Technology and Ingenuity World’s fairs aimed to instill in their audiences an appreciation of modern manufacturing and the creativity behind it. The 19th-century notion of progress esteemed science and technology as the peak of human achievement and reflected the hope for a better future shaped by invention and the useful arts. 1 | P a g e Ingenuity took on many forms. Lobmeyr, Baccarat, and other glassmakers experimented with new ways to achieve iridescent effects and with acid-etched decoration. Ceramic manufacturers like Sèvres, Royal Worcester, and KPM introduced new decorative applications and glaze techniques such as pâte-sur-pâte, en camaïeu, and porcelain inlays. French textile manufacturers created vibrantly colored silks with synthetic dyes. Electricity transformed metalworking industries, leading to the widespread adoption of new processes such as electroplating, electrotyping, and galvanoplastie. Furniture makers created convertible objects to suit consumers’ desires for multiple functions. The famed European firm of Thonet harnessed the power of steam to create lightweight and inexpensive bentwood furniture, while industrial materials such as steel, iron, and newly discovered aluminum were formed into fascinating jewelry and domestic objects. The roots of 19th-century invention linked the traditions of progress and modernity as designers at the beginning of the 20th century continued to stretch the limits of new materials and processes. The quest for ingenuity would remain a common thread from 1851 to 1939. “The Federation of Mankind”: Cross-Cultural Influences Exotic sights, sounds, and smells swirled throughout the world’s fairs, the greatest global gathering places of the 19th and 20th centuries. For the first time, diplomats, manufacturers, artisans, and an enthusiastic public had immediate access to objects, materials, and peoples from around the world. This confluence of cultures left an indelible mark on design and production of decorative arts. In the 19th century, world’s fairs were primarily European and American events, so the varied cultures brought together were seen largely through a Western lens. An interest in “exoticism”— referring broadly to the arts of non-Western countries—escalated during the 19th century. International trade had exposed Europeans to Islamic and Persian objects, but colonial expansion and the East India Company helped popularize Indian motifs at the earliest world’s fairs. The opening of trade with Japan and China in the 1850s created a veritable frenzy for Asian designs. Asian manufacturers incorporated European technologies in order to appeal to new international audiences. In turn, European and American firms and designers like Christopher Dresser, Thomas Jeckyll, and Tiffany & Co. drew inspiration from patterns and techniques presented in foreign prints, textiles, ceramics, metalwork, and furniture. The world’s fairs not only served as the foremost opportunity for the exchange of ideas, but they also fostered a utopian vision of diverse cultures that could cooperate to forge a better world. Nationalism The participating countries at world’s fairs took great pride in the objects they exhibited. Displays represented more than the efforts of an individual artisan. In some sense, every object at these events, so highly charged with a competitive spirit, became a statement of national purpose. Patriotism was evident in works evoking past handicraft traditions or drawing upon national motifs, symbols, techniques, and resources. Countries of all sizes referenced the distant—and 2 | P a g e sometimes mythical or even archaeological—past. Hungarian porcelain manufacturer Zsolnay introduced a line of ceramics based on Bronze Age vessels from the region. Russian designers tended to favor a rich, pseudo-Byzantine aesthetic, while Viking imagery remained popular in Norwegian decorative arts through the end of the century. For the young United States, nationalism was often expressed in the country’s future and through the bounty of its land and natural resources. The vase and pedestal by Union Porcelain Works is replete with scenes of progress. Some American manufacturers such as Tiffany & Co. and Gates Potteries introduced imagery from Native American sources to create a quintessentially American style that was also a romantic representation of the changing landscape. Art Nouveau The sinuous lines of Art Nouveau emerged onto the art scene in the 1880s; by 1900, it had exploded in popularity, transforming the world of design. Artists and designers at the turn of the century were eager to move away from the imitative revival styles that had dominated the previous decades in order to create a modern international aesthetic. The movement was characterized by organic curves, naturalistic motifs, and sumptuous ornamentation. Designers such as Louis Majorelle and Louis Comfort Tiffany also looked for inspiration to Japanese art, with its focused nature studies and asymmetrical compositions. The term “Art Nouveau” derives from Siegfried Bing’s Parisian shop L’Art Nouveau. Bing is often credited with popularizing the movement. He sold exceptional objects by firms and designers working in the style, such as Hector Guimard, René Lalique, Tiffany, and Rookwood. Many major American and European museums bought directly from him at the 1900 fair. In its purposeful rejection of outmoded tastes and exploration of new design influences, Art Nouveau marked an important transition in Modernism. Image caption: Exterior of Siegfried Bing’s L’Art Nouveau pavilion at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle Progressive Design As interest in Art Nouveau began to wane in the early 1900s, a new Modernist philosophy emerged that asserted that objects should not just decorate people’s lives but respond to the needs of daily life—a rational approach rather than an emotional one. The 19th-century aesthetic gave way to a true 20th-century concept of modernity, based on logical thought, economy of form and decoration, and an emphasis on function. Objects epitomizing these ideals were exhibited at the 1902 Turin and 1904 St. Louis fairs. Viennese artists Josef Hoffmann and Josef Maria Olbrich were among those who led the Modernist movement. Cooperative workshops such as Charles Robert Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft and the Wiener Werkstätte brought together artists and craftsmen to elevate the applied arts by emphasizing utility and beauty of form in the face of modern industrial production. Minimal decoration was integrated with form and construction, as seen in the bold, monochromatic ornament of the Jutta Sika tea service and the architectonic facets of the punch bowl designed by Jan Kotěra. Geometric decorative motifs were often given vitality through repetition and controlled within

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