Art Nouveau Motifs. Among the many recurring images found in Art Nouveau jewelry, the most widely recognized motif is that of a naked or partially clothed woman surrounded by her loose flowing hair, often depicted swimming or in flight, symbolically demonstrating her freedom (figure 1). Nature, associated with fertility and femininity, is unselfconsciqusly sensual. This eroticism is ap- parent in the sinuous interpretation of nature in the Art Nouveau line, which expressed movement, passion, vitality, and the youthful vigor of new ideas. Often called the "whiplash line," it repre- sents the common element found in virtually every Art Nouveau design and provided the stim- ulus for some of the descriptive names for Art Nouveau such as Palingstil, which means "eel style." Winged creatures of many kinds were also common in Art Nouveau jewelry. The peacock in particular is frequently seen, as are swans, swal- lows, roosters, owls, and bats. Insects such as the dragonfly and butterfly were special favorites be- cause enamelists could skillfully represent the gauzy transparency of wings in a startlingly realis- tic manner (figure 2). Scarabs, with their mystical connection to Egyptian lore, were also common subjects, as were grasshoppers, bees, and wasps. Snakes, which were often used in Victorian jewels as stiff symbols of eternal love, acquired sinister new life and movement in Art Nouveau (figure 3). The chameleon and lizard were also represented, as were fish, seahorses, and other sea creatures. A "fascination with the shocking and nightmarish,
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