Here is a truly fabulous brooch, dating from the early 1980s I should think - you get an instinct after a while, & this has the flavour of the big & bold 1980s all over it. I can tell you that it feels like a superb quality item, & definitely gold-plated. It measures 8.5cms long & 3cms wide (3 3/8 x 1 1/4), & has clear pav diamant on the pretty heart-shaped leaves, & its gracefully arching stems are very redolent of the beautiful Art Nouveau style of the late 1890s. This is a very modern brooch in a very old-fashioned style, & is absolutely stunning. It’s lovely & sparkly, very clean & in perfect condition !! It has a secure rollover clasp which is working perfectly & the pin is soldered at each end rather than glued on as a separate fitting - a sign of a better quality piece. No signature or maker’s marks of any kind, however, a beautiful item nonetheless. ART NOUVEAU STYLE Art Nouveau is the name given to an international style of art, architecture & applied art, especially the decorative arts, known in different languages by different names: Jugendstil in German, Stile Liberty in Italian, Modernismo cataln in Spanish, etc. The style was most popular between 1890 & 1910, & was a reaction against the academic art, eclecticism & historicism of 19th century architecture & decoration. It was chiefly inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants & flowers. Other characteristics of Art Nouveau were a sense of dynamism & movement, often given by asymmetry or whiplash lines, & the use of modern materials, particularly iron, glass, ceramics & later concrete, to create unusual forms & larger open spaces. One major objective of Art Nouveau was to break down the traditional distinction between fine arts (especially painting & sculpture) & applied arts. It was most widely used in interior design, graphic arts, furniture, glass art, textiles, ceramics, jewellery & metal work. By 1914, & with the beginning of the First World War, Art Nouveau was largely exhausted. in the 1920s, it was replaced as the dominant architectural & decorative art style by Art Deco & then Modernism. The Art Nouveau style began to receive more positive attention from critics in the late 1960s, with a major exhibition of the work of Hector Guimard at the Museum of Modern Art in 1970. Throughout the 1970s, the Art Nouveau style was a big trend in fashion (Biba was a good example) & jewellery, art & popular graphics like record sleeves, beauty advertising, poster art, etc. Vintage 1980S Gold-Plated Pav Diamant Brooch, Two Long Heart-Shaped Leaves On Curving Stems, Art Nouveau Style, Valentine’s Day Gift
