Sinuous Curves in Glass

Sinuous Curves in Glass

Curves played an eminent role in Art Nouveau. In a previous post we have seen the abundant use of flowers in Art Nouveau decoration. Today we follow Victor Horta and other architects into the world of attractive curves, frequently also borrowed from nature. For them, instead of flowers, simple plant stems - but strongly synthezised -  became attractive undulating curves in their forged iron balconies, floor mosaics, wall paintings, stair railings and of course stained glass windows. The famous whiplash curve invented by Viktor Horta became a symbol of the new style.

Hôtel Tassel

In 1893 Victor Horta starts building the family house for Emile Tassel in Rue Emile Janson 6 which can be considered the masterpiece of the nascent Art Nouveau style. Here the architect displayed a highly innovative plan and groundbreaking use of materials. Instead of the typical Brussels house (with a three-room-suite, remaining the central one in the dark) he linked the first and the last room by a steel structure covered with glass achieving a well lit house. Simultaneously, his audacious construction plans convert this central area in a communicating room through which passes all the circulation of the house, in an utterly open plan. Horta's mastery of materials you can watch already on the façade where delicate iron columns appear to be gripping hold of the lintel above.

The stained glass window in the smoking-room reflects the high evolution of this art in the Art Nouveau period. Its four panels are divided by slender columns. The design stretching over the four panels represent the perfect model of curvy whiplash lines (also called Horta lines). Delicate colors from greyish-blue to white evoke the idea of cigarette smoke meandering to the ceiling, while creating shadows and casting pools of light onto walls and floor.  Another horizontal whiplash line in bright yellow creates a beautiful contrast. The glass artist could be none other than R. Evaldre.

Smoking-room window in Hotel Tassel

In the same building Horta placed an interior door in stained glass creating an additional light well. Curved lines with a clear hint at nature decorate the two panels from bottom to top. For the curves as well as for the background the glass master used graduated colors: dark at the bottom of the door and turning lighter and lighter towards the top. In this way he secured intimacy for the adjoining rooms while permitting the entrance of light. Note the floor mosaic in front of the door, with more curvy design.

Interior door in Hôtel Tassel

Avenue Louis Bertrand 43

This most interesting building is signed by the architect Gustave Strauven. A profusion of curves in a wooden bay window, magnificent wrought iron elements and of course stained glass windows are some of its  exterior decorations in the new style. This window above the entrance with its curvy lines might be an abstract picture but its colors hint at its origin: nature. Of course, the beauty of this stained glass must be  striking when seen from indoors.

Fanlight in Av. Louis Bertrand 43

Rue Belle Vue 42

Ernest Blérot, contrary to Victor Horta, is not revolutionizing the architecture. His talent and his fertil imagination concentrate more on the decoration of his otherwise conventional houses like several ones in the town quarter of Ixelles. His decoration repertoire goes from wraught iron balconies to sgrafitti panels, mosaics or the one presented here, an amazing stained glass window. Huge curves meander upwards from ground floor to the roof, illuminating the whole staircase behind. The dominating blue of the entire window has a striking effect. Dark blue glass has been chosen for the sinuous curves, a lighter blue for the background. To set off the design of  curves and some rare flowers from the background the artist helps himself with the wise use of differently textured glass. The luminous effect seen from the staircase must be awe-inspiring.

Section of staircase window in Rue Belle Vue 42

Rue Vilain XIIII, 11

On the ground floor of this house in the same quarter of Ixelles E. Blérot placed two stained glass windows, complementary in its design. Huge ribbons in whiplash curves are winding their way up towards the fanlights. The dominating green colors of the curves as well as the background enhance the beauty of these windows. The perfect Art Nouveau stone masonry framing this twin windows indicates the mastery of total art, a basic concept to Art Nouveau.

Twin-window in Rue Vilain XIIII,11

Hôtel van Eetvelde

In one of his show pieces of Art Nouveau architecture Victor Horta manifested his mastery of lighting a building in the most innovative way while adding elements of beauty. In Hôtel van Eetvelde in Av. Palmerston 4 (in the European quarter),  the architect was at liberty to realize his most precious ideas of Art Nouveau innovation for a wealthy owner. The creation of free spaces bathed in light thanks to a spectacular stained glass roof is one of the examples of his stunning creativity. The magnificent window presented here lights the dining-room. Opalescent glass in green shades at the lower part change gradually to golden tonalities with curved lines creating a magic effect. This work of art is signed by R. Evaldre.

Dining-room window in Hôtel van Eetvelde

Flowers in Glass

Flowers in Glass

Stained glass may be considered an art of painting, but a painting with light. Its most unique effect is always the product of coloring, refracting, obscuring and fragmenting the light. Throughout its thousand-year history stained glass was almost exclusively used in church windows. Only in the 19th century it entered in private houses, finding its real breakthrough with the Art Nouveau architects who considered natural light one of their foremost interest in quality house building.

Rue Vanderschrick 25

The architect Ernest Blérot designed a splendid corner house in Art Nouveau style, nowadays used as a bar called "Porteuse d'Eau". Applying the new concept of light in the style en vogue he integrated into the building a profusion of stained glass windows and this stunning glass dome at its centre, sustained by a massive marble column. Green and blue glass represent the oversized flowers against a bright yellow background.

Dome in Rue Vanderschrick 25

Pure Art Nouveau lines can be devised in the design of these beautiful window frames in the same building "Porteuse d'Eau" by Ernest Blérot, in the popular quarter of St. Gilles. Thanks to its present function of  bar the building can be easily accessed for due admiration. Several of these windows light the ground floor of the establishment. Its lower parts are kept in transparent glass interrupted only by curvy wooden lines while the upper parts contain this elegant stylized flower motif composed with differently textured glass. Red petals in opalesque glass encircle a white flower on a creamy background in ripple glass.

Window in Rue Vanderschrick,25

Fanlight in Rue Charles V, 58

Surprisingly, this otherwise classic façade on Rue Charles V, 58 in the European quarter shows a huge two-floor staircase window with a precious Art Nouveau design. The image presented here is the small fanlight over the entrance. Stylized flowers in lively green and delicate mauve shades, cut from opalescent glass, are set against a squared backdrop in ripple glass. The round yellow pieces are cut from bottoms of bottles. This masterly handling of different glass qualities indicate great skill of the anonymous glass master making the window particularly attractive.  

Fanlight in Rue CharlesV,58

Maison Frison

Victor Horta, the prodigious Art Nouveau architect, created a highly innovative dwelling in Rue Lebeau 25, next to Sablon, in Brussels for the Frison family. The condition of a typical narrow but deep building site induced him to devise a plan with new sources of light. Here he connected the front of the house with the back garden by a curbed glass roof. An iron structure elaborated in beautiful curves, reminiscent of stylized trees, sustain the glassed roof.  Simple transparent glass squares are bordered by a highly attractive curvy design in bright yellow while the centre displays one single tree-like image with a roundish crown.  Most stained glass works are anonymous but this masterpiece has a signature: Raphael Evaldre. Maison Frison has been habilitated as Art Gallery and as such may provide a glimpse into the building’s interior. Horta's faculty of producing a total art work is evident also in other decorative details such as the beautiful stair landing in whiplash curves.

Galerie in Maison Frison

Rue Darwin, 15

One of the few houses where E. Blerot not only used decorative Art Nouveau elements but created an entire building according to the principles of the new style in all its concepts. A grand bow window on its lower floor decorates the façade. Its wooden frame  is marked by characteristic Art Nouveau curved lines. Transparent glass at its central section is surrounded by designs inspired in nature. Colorful lilies are sprouting from the blue of water while the upper part is dominated by a bird set against the blue sky.

Bow window in Rue Darwin 15

Maison Autrique

Victor Horta built his first house with clear ideas about the new style already in 1893, in Chaussee de Haecht 266. He opted for a relatively simple interior, due to financial restrictions of the owner, but applied already basic concepts of the new style like the harmonious combination of industrial and handmade materials or in nature inspired elements as the stair landing.
Two stained glass windows in the staircase flood the house with light. Their design show influences of japonism, a style emerging in Europe in the 19th century and very appreciated by Art Nouveau designers. The window presented here is the lower one of the two, facing the garden. Its subject is a stylized landscape with lys flowers and a fruit tree. The glass artist chose soft pastel colors for the design but enhanced the tree with a deep brown tonality. Opalesque glass with marble effect for the fruits complete this artistic panel.

Staircase window in Maison Autrique