Easily Confused Design Terms: Art Deco vs. Art Nouveau, Baroque vs. Rococo, Neo-Classical vs. Beaux-Arts, De Stijl vs. Bauhaus

Architecture and Design

Art Nouveau vs. Art Deco

“A popular style from the 1890s until World War I, Art Nouveau drew on nature: organic motifs, plants, reeds, insects and flowers,” says Horsfall Turner, 46. “It’s a very abundant, asymmetrical approach, with sinuous, flowing lines and subdued colors.”

“If Art Nouveau was about abundance, Art Deco was more geometric and economical. Culminating at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, it has the excitement of industrialization — chrome, electric lights — mixed with the historical knowledge of Classicism.”

Baroque vs. Rococo

“Kicking off in Italy in the 17th century and then spreading through Europe, it’s characterized by movement, drama and dynamism — for example, manipulating materials to make stone look like liquid. Having learned and understood Classical rules, the Baroque artist says, ‘Let’s go and break them.’”

“If Baroque is rough play, Rococo is pretty, light play. It comes from early 18th-century France, and its name is a riff on rocaille, or broken shells. There are lots of shells, seaweeds, ferns — it’s fun, decorative and a bit sexy.”

Victorian vs. Edwardian

“Coined during Queen Victoria’s reign in England from 1837 to 1901, the name encompasses lots of different styles, from the Gothic Revival to the Arts and Crafts movement. It’s highly ornamental, with rich colors, and full of possibility.”

“During the reign of Edward VII, from 1901 to 1910, there was an emergence from the grip of the Victorian period into something lighter, less upholstered and a little less stuffy.”

Neo-Classical vs. Beaux-Arts

“Refers to the 18th- and 19th-century revival of interest in the ancient world of Greece and Rome. Neo-Classical is all about harmony, symmetry and restraint.”

“Of French 19th-century origin, Beaux-Arts is a neo-Classical style injected with a dash of Baroque. It’s got more swagger and ostentation and is suitable for institutional and public buildings.”

De Stijl vs. Bauhaus

“A Dutch style of abstraction popular from 1917 to 1931. The aim of de Stijl was to create a geometric, philosophical ideal with a limited color palette. It’s a bit more removed from daily life than Bauhaus.”

“A close cousin of de Stijl, Bauhaus is named after the German art school that opened in 1919 and promoted a new way of designing, with a focus on functionality. It was keen on embracing modern materials like glass, steel and concrete, as well as applied arts like tapestry.”

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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