Early 20th century Western culture brought with it mass industrialization, the invention of the rail & automobile as a means of transport and radio which completely revolutionized the developed world on a scale unheard of at the time. Centuries of Colonialism, slavery and a new global trade had made the empires of Europe and the New World exceedingly wealthy and as a result, a middle class began to emerge, the result of which was a migration to urban centres - Paris, New York, London, Berlin, etc became epicentres of culture, industry and art. The "idle life" became accessible to many who otherwise would never have had such a privilege. A new class of bohemians, artists, designers, writers and business tycoons alike began to have an equal stake in the directions in which these metropolises took. Furniture was no exception.
When the Art Nouveau style began to be seen in France in the early 00s, it coincided with the new phenomenon of parks - or urban green spaces and gardens, which sought to provide citizens with a reprive from the new era of coal, steam, steel and smoke. A return to nature, or looking-back took hold, much like the Romantic period before it and, as if taking pause to remember the rural life many of these citizens had left behind, a focus on nature and greenery became popular. Like many trends, it began on the fringe and made its way into the general public consciousness. Our own Parc Mont-Royal is an example of this.
This chair is a great example of the Art-Nouveau style, flowing, elegant, vine-like contours, floral carvings and organic shapes perfectly represent this attitude toward nature. Buy some nature at the local salon and share a bit of absinthe in the comfort of your tea-room!
PS - I always found that the art-deco movement which followed shortly afterward (after WWI) symbolized a return to the urban. Fully embracing the Modern metropolis and ushering in the "roaring 20's".
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