art nouveau
noun /ˌɑːt nuːˈvəʊ/, /ˌɑː nuːˈvəʊ/
/ˌɑːrt nuːˈvəʊ/, /ˌɑːr nuːˈvəʊ/
(also Art Nouveau)
[uncountable]- a style of art and architecture popular in Europe and the US at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century that uses complicated designs and curved patterns based on natural shapes like leaves and flowersCultureThe most famous British artists and designers working in this style were Aubrey Beardsley and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.Topics Buildingsc2Word Originearly 20th cent.: from French, literally ‘new art’.