The publication is devoted to key works of the Czech and European Art Nouveau style from the collections of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. It examines decorative art of the Art Nouveau period as part of the ground eaking modernization and emancipation trends of the Fin de siecle that brought changes in interior and fashion design, introduced new forms and styles in glass and ceramics, and gave rise to a modern visual language in advertising. Art Nouveau art sought inspiration in biology and social reform theories, life philosophies and studies of occult sciences. All these components made up a remarkably vital art movement that invigorated 20th-century avant-garde art. The book is published on the occasion of the eponymous exhibition in the Municipal house in Prague.
