Art Nouveau Symbolism Is an Essay

The new woman is scary for many, especially for men. Not only because she personifies a radical change, but because they no longer have the power upon her. Being independent, wise and strong she becomes an adversary, an opponent and therefore a challenge. And it's not only the male pride at stake, but also the acknowledgement that society was really changing.

A relevant example for our discussion is the literary character Eliza in Pygmalion. She undergoes a radical change, modifying not only her dress, her speech and life style, but also her goals, ideals and life perspective. From this point-of-view she can be considered a personification of the new woman ideal, despite the fact that in the transformation process she is helped by a man.

The artwork that had the most powerful impression on me was the Eiffel tower. Not only it is a technological example of successful thinking taking into consideration its height and weight and the resistance to high temperatures, but it also strikes me through the fact that after being considered unworthy of a piece of art, it became the very symbol of not only Paris, but France as well.

I like its structure, a sort of geometrical flower being decomposed and recomposed into itself.Its shape is fluid, but at the same time is suggests resistance and strength. Its size and its shape turn it into a very strong symbol. On the one hand, it can be seen as a sort of longing for the future.

On the other hand it can be considered a sign of stability, an anchor in the past and a sign of reference, a point that will help you orientate when you have lost your direction. Its resistance also inspires me in a symbolical manner, making me think about the relation between technology and art and how they influence each other.

Bibliography:

Art Nouveau, retrieved May 4,2009 from http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_intro.shtm

Guimard, Hector, retrieved May 3,2009 from http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Hector_Guimard.html

Rimbaud, Arthur, Vowels, retrieved May 4, 2009 from http://www.doctorhugo.org/synaesthesia/rimbaud.html

Symbolism, Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, retrieved may 4, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolism

Victor Horta, Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, retrieved may 4, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Horta.....