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Art Deco : a century-old movement that’s more relavant than ever
A hundred years after its triumph in Paris, Art Deco is reconquering our interiors, our architecture and our imaginations. But why does this movement, born in the Roaring Twenties, captivate us so powerfully today?
Paris 1925 : when everything changed
Charles Loupot ; Johann von Stein ; Wikimedia
Picture Paris in 1925. Between April and October, the capital played host to a revolutionary exhibition: the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. The rule? Zero nostalgia. Everything had to be resolutely modern.
France was determined to prove it remained the temple of luxury and good taste. The gamble paid off handsomely: millions of visitors flocked to the exhibition, dazzled by this bold new visual language that would soon be named Art Deco.
Charles Loupot ; Johann von Stein ; Wikimedia
Solstice Hannan ; Unsplash
The five commandments of Art Deco
Solstice Hannan ; Unsplash
Gone are the organic curves of Art Nouveau. Enter a style that celebrates geometry, speed and the future.
Geometry above all else – Straight lines, perfect circles, pyramidal shapes. Art Deco is what you can draw with a ruler and compass.
Symmetry as signature – Everything perfectly balanced, reassuring, orderly.
Stylisation over imitation – A rose becomes a simple graphic disc. Animals—deer, panthers, greyhounds—are rendered in profile with a few bold strokes.
Black and gold, an iconic pairing – Maximum contrast for immediate visual impact. Add chrome, mirrors and glossy lacquer.
Zigzags everywhere – Chevrons, lightning bolts, sunbursts: patterns that evoke electricity, modernity and movement.
From luxury furniture to skyscrapers
Esteban Chinchilla ; Unsplash
Initially, Art Deco was synonymous with precious materials: Macassar ebony, ivory, shagreen. Then the movement embraced the industrial age with chrome-plated steel, glass and concrete. Modern design was born.
Above all, Art Deco travelled. New York sent it soaring skywards with the Chrysler Building. Casablanca and Shanghai were transformed. It became the first truly global style.
Esteban Chinchilla ; Unsplash
Meuble de Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann (Paris 1879-Paris 1933) ; Jean-Pirre Dalbéra ; Wikimedia
The geniuses of the movement
Meuble de Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann (Paris 1879-Paris 1933) ; Jean-Pirre Dalbéra ; Wikimedia
The movement owes its brilliance to exceptional creators.
- Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, master furniture maker, embodied French refinement.
- Tamara de Lempicka immortalised the Roaring Twenties with her sculptural, sensual portraits.
- Cassandre revolutionised advertising posters with bold geometric compositions.
- Le Corbusier, with his L’Esprit Nouveau pavilion in 1925, paved the way for functional architecture stripped of ornamentation.
Why are we crying out for it today?
Tsuyoshi Kozu ; Unsplash
After years of somewhat bland Scandinavian minimalism, we’re craving character. Neo-Art Deco delivers: bold shapes, golden brass, sumptuous velvets, striking graphic patterns.
Then there’s the unsettling parallel: just as in the 1920s, we’re emerging from multiple crises. Art Deco speaks of celebration, optimism and the desire to live life to the fullest—a message that resonates powerfully today.
Tsuyoshi Kozu ; Unsplash
How to spot Art Deco at a glance
To identify Art Deco instantly, simply look for the contrast with natural forms. Where nature is curved and random, Art Deco is ordered, rigorous and brilliant.
The dominance of geometry
Simone Hutsch ; Unsplash
This is the simplest giveaway. If you see shapes you could draw with a ruler and compass, it’s probably Art Deco:
- Straight lines and sharp angles
- Perfect circles and semicircles
- The pyramid (or ziggurat): stepped shapes, quintessentially Art Deco in skyscrapers or chair backs
Simone Hutsch ; Unsplash
General Electric Building ; New York City; Ryan Schwark; Wikimedia
The 'broken line' (or zigzag)
General Electric Building ; New York City; Ryan Schwark; Wikimedia
The movement adores dynamism. Look for patterns such as:
- Chevrons (V-shapes)
- Lightning bolts or zigzags (symbolising modernity and electricity)
- Sunbursts radiating from a central point
03.
Stylisation (over realism)
Avansear ; Unsplash
Unlike Art Nouveau, which faithfully reproduced flowers, Art Deco simplified them to the extreme:
- A rose became a simple disc with a few lines
- Animals—often deer, greyhounds or panthers—were depicted in profile, with taut lines suggesting speed
Avansear ; Unsplash
Svekloid ; Shutterstock
The 'black and gold' (or silver) contrast
Svekloid ; Shutterstock
This style pursues luxury and visual impact:
- Extensive use of contrasting colours (deep black against gleaming gold)
- Highly reflective materials: chrome, mirror, lacquer, polished glass
- Exotic materials: ebony (very dark wood) or geometrically worked wrought iron
Perfect symmetry
Entrée et façade du palais de la Porte Dorée à Paris ; AkSepPhoenix ; Wikimedia
If you divide an Art Deco pattern or building down the middle, the left side is usually the exact mirror image of the right. It’s a style that reassures through order and balance, in stark contrast to the chaos of the post-war world.
Entrée et façade du palais de la Porte Dorée à Paris ; AkSepPhoenix ; Wikimedia
Three unmissable places to discover and admire Art Deco
Flagship exhibition 1925-2025. One Hundred Years of Art Deco until 26 April 2026
- 107 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1ᵉʳ
Paris 1925: Art Deco and its architects, until 29 March 2026
- Palais de Chaillot, Paris 16ᵉ
A monumental masterpiece, with façades sculpted by Alfred Janniot
- 293 avenue Daumesnil, Paris 12ᵉ
