The label defines a vast, international and artistically avant-gardist movement which, at the turn of the 20th century (1890-1914), emerged in all of Europe’s big cities as a reaction against the academic schools. Followers of the movement all subscribed to its underlying principle, namely that the essence of aesthetics should be sought in nature rather than ancient Classicist renditions.

First coined by some Belgian art critics as the 19th century drew to a close, the expression 'Art Nouveau' really began catching on in Paris with the opening in 1895 of the art gallery Maison Art Nouveau by the famous German art dealer Siegfried Bing.

This movement, which heralds the 20th century, represents a complex cultural phenomenon. It found expression in different forms and for different lengths of time depending on the country hosting it. Thus, it inherited a specific name in every language, at times inspired by the name of an artist or a place: Style Guimard, Art Nouveau, Style 1900 or Ecole de Nancy (France), Jugendstil (Germany), Sezessionstil (Austria), Modernisme (Spain), Stile Liberty (Italy), Arts and Crafts, Glasgow Style or Modern Style (Great Britain), Nieuwe Kunst (Netherlands), Style sapin (La Chaux-de-Fonds). Moreover, this wealth of names became complemented by numerous nicknames, such as Eel Style, Noodle Style and Whiplash Style.