With its exemplary but small collection of Art Nouveau pieces, the exhibit Holland on Paper: The Age of Art Nouveau has the challenge of living up to other impressive and similar showcases at the Museum of Fine Arts . The exhibition, which opened on Aug. 10, is currently on view in the Frances Vrachos Gallery, the same space that was just occupied by Art in the Street, a collection of 20th century European posters, earlier this summer. The MFA also hosted another compilation of Art Nouveau pieces in The Postcard Age, which was on view through this past April. Though the new installations expressive and decadent illustrations are engaging, it ultimately pales in the aftermath of these two predecessors.
The Art Nouveau movement originated in Paris around the turn of the 20th century. Literally meaning new art, Art Nouveau soon spread throughout Europe and beyond the continent. At the crux of the movement was a desire to connect with the natural world; pieces are filled with organic forms and smooth curves. Art Nouveau was all-encompassing, influencing not only the graphic arts, but also architecture, textiles, decorative arts and more. Some of the more well-known artists of the movement include Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha.
Holland on Paper: The Age of Art Nouveau features various graphic design pieces by Dutch artists. The arrangement of the 45 works includes pieces from more prominent artists like Piet Mondrian, while also bringing to light obscure names like Jan Toorop, Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita and Theo Hoytema. The collection chooses to highlight pieces of one particular medium: paper. From watercolors and drawings, to calendars, illustrated books, posters and lithographs, the art style flows seamlessly from one piece to the next.
Despite offering viewers an authentic taste of the time period, the physical layout of the exhibit hampers its effectiveness. Situated in a tight hallway, the display is adjacent to a room filled with extremely valuable oil on canvas works by several artistic giants like Pablo Picasso and Joan Mir?. This makes the space highly trafficked; instead of being a destination itself, Holland on Paper becomes a means of getting to these other renowned works. Because of the large number of passersby, it is incredibly difficult to truly engage with the pieces.
Furthermore, the exhibits commentary is limited. The introductory plaque gives a basic overview of Art Nouveau, but among the works, only every other piece has an extended description. After traveling through the gallery, there is another large plaque that you would expect to offer closing remarks on the exhibit. It is, however, only a replica of the first, meant to guide those who view the exhibit in reverse order. The collection is clearly meant to be a small compilation of pieces, which is unfortunate; with better textual support for viewers, it could have the potential to be more educational.
The Postcard Age, which assembled postcards from around the world, including many from the Art Nouveau era, was an exhibit of another caliber. It was large and guided visitors through in a more logical manner. Art in the Street, which was on view in the same hallway as Holland on Paper, was another representation of Art Nouveau pieces that was arranged in a more appealing way. The large poster works on display in Art in the Street were much more visually arresting and seemed to fit the hallway space, where they appropriately appeared on view as if a visitor were walking along a street. With such memorable displays immediately preceding it, Holland on Paper: The Age of Art Nouveau seems merely to cower in the shadow of these exhibits.
