Along with architecture and the decorative arts, graphic art and illustration in the inter-war period were profoundly influenced by the 'Art Deco' aesthetic. One hundred years after the 1925 exhibition that first brought this style to the world's attention, the exhibition Elégance et modernité, thanks to a rich private collection, revisits this creative universe and recalls the Alsatian presence at the 1925 exhibition.
For many people, 1925 is synonymous with Art Deco, a defining moment in a style that was to conquer the world, from New York to Bombay, via Shanghai and New Zealand, culminating in the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. Art Deco undoubtedly flourished in architecture and the decorative arts. But it also left its distinctive mark on illustration. Our view of the period has long been that of the Roaring 20s, of a carefree society in love with luxury and oblivious to the tragedy that lay ahead, while genuinely modern artistic and cultural movements were already ushering in the post-war world. Recent historiography has shown that this view did not appreciate the extent to which the style known at the time as ‘modern art’ spread to all sections of the population, seduced by a more accessible form of modernity and a decorative vocabulary that could be adapted to all aspects of life.
From 12 April to 12 July 2025, the exhibition Elégance et modernité - Illustration in the Art Deco period at the Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire (BNU) in Strasbourg will explore the development of illustration and graphic art in the inter-war period.
Drawing on the extensive collection of Wulf and Akka von Lucius (Stuttgart), the exhibition presents a comprehensive overview of the art of illustration around 1925. It offers a rare opportunity in France to see German works that testify to the permeability of influences between our two countries. Items from the collections of the Bnu and its partners will allow visitors to discover the vitality of Alsatian Art Deco and illustrate the region's presence at the 1925 Exhibition.
From 12 April to 12 July 2025, the exhibition Elégance et modernité - Illustration in the Art Deco period at the Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire (BNU) in Strasbourg will explore the development of illustration and graphic art in the inter-war period.
Drawing on the extensive collection of Wulf and Akka von Lucius (Stuttgart), the exhibition presents a comprehensive overview of the art of illustration around 1925. It offers a rare opportunity in France to see German works that testify to the permeability of influences between our two countries. Items from the collections of the Bnu and its partners will allow visitors to discover the vitality of Alsatian Art Deco and illustrate the region's presence at the 1925 Exhibition.
