From Art Nouveau to Art Deco: French Perfumery
About the Program:
When did perfume become more than a scent?
From the mid-nineteenth century onward, perfume in France underwent a remarkable transformation. As fragrances became accessible to a broader public, perfumeries faced a new challenge: how to stand out. The answer was not found in the scent itself—often similar across brands—but in what surrounded it. Bottles, labels, boxes, shop interiors, and advertising turned perfume into a fully designed object, rich in material, visual, and artistic value.
This richly illustrated online event explores the moment when perfume entered the world of the decorative arts. Beginning with the groundbreaking experiments of Art Nouveau around 1900—led by figures such as Alfonse Mucha and Hector Guimard—and continuing through the bold elegance of Art Deco, French perfumeries collaborated with some of the most innovative artists of the early twentieth century. Designers such as Louis Süe and André Mare (for d’Orsay and Piver), alongside Jean Dunand, Jean-Michel Frank, Yvonne Brunet, and Mathurin Méheut, helped shape a new visual language for perfume—one that merged art, commerce, and modern taste with outstanding examples of Art Deco applied to commercial design.
With many illustrated examples, this talk explores how perfume presentation in the first decades of the twentieth century can be viewed as a decorative art in its own right. It will trace the evolution of bottles, labels, packaging, advertising imagery, naming strategies, and even retail and exhibition spaces, revealing how they absorbed contemporary styles—from Art Nouveau to Art Deco—while engaging with Orientalist influences and paving the way for 1930s modernism.
We’ll also follow the story beyond France, tracing how these ideas crossed the Atlantic and helped cement France’s reputation as the global leader in taste, luxury, and visual culture.
If you’re fascinated by design, fashion, cultural history, or the intersection of art and commerce, this event offers a rare opportunity to see perfume in an entirely new light.
About the Speaker:
Tristan Hinschberger has specialized in the study of fashion and costume history, completing his undergraduate studies at the École du Louvre and completing a Master's degree under the supervision of Mr. Denis Bruna, curator of the Fashion and Textile Department at the Musée des Art Décoratifs in Paris. His research for his Master's degree culminated in papers on the history and evolution of tennis fashion from 1877 onward and the Perfume Pavilion at the 1925 Exposition.
Registration:
How to Register for ADSNY's Web-based programs:
- Click the gold Register button located to the left of the "About the Program" section
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All ticket sales are final. Sorry, there are no refunds or exchanges.
ADSNY is not able to issue new access information for this video event after the expiration date of the access link and password you receive upon your registration.
