Decorative Sketches

Reproduced from a rare 1902 portfolio, these decorative images offer an exotic and imaginative approach to architecture and applied design. Sixty plates, 12 in full color and many with partial and varied color, exhibit the influence of Ernst Haeckel's natural forms on artist René Binet's designs. Illustrations reflecting the styles of Art Nouveau Paris include jewelry, furniture, ironwork, and architectural details. AUTHOR: Architect, decorator, painter, and art theorist, Rene Binet (18661911) infused the Art Nouveau trend with references to Orientalism and the work of naturalist Ernst Haeckel. He attended the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) and was a student of Victor Laloux. Binet is best known for his innovative design of "The Monumental Door" for the 1900 Worlds Fair in Paris.