It is believed that the Art Nouveau passion for the unconstrained ebullience of the natural world was a reaction to the rigid classical revival style popular in the preceding decades of the 19th century.
The movement strove to incorporate the theme of harmony with nature into every aspect of daily living, at the same time aiming to elevate every mundane object into a work of fine art...
Among the influences on Art Nouveau are the Pre-Raphaelite painters who idealized nature and the human form. The Pre-Raphaelites were influenced by the Romantics and that influence can be seen heavily in the dreamy, perfection of forms in Art Nouveau. Unlike its influences, Art Nouveau spread to the decorative arts and architecture making it a "total art style."
The clean, idealized lines of the Art Nouveau movement was inherited by its successor movement Art Deco the object of its reverence, instead of nature, was modern industrialism.
