In its early years, The Studio (published monthly in London from April 1893 until well into the twentieth century) was one of the major media for the development of Art Nouveau styles. It was probably more responsible than any other publication for the acceptance of Art Nouveau by the public, and as it progressed it remained the most outstanding vehicle of Art Nouveau illustration. It also had a tremendous influence on American artists and illustrators of the period. In addition to art competitions, featured articles on contemporary artists and on topics like photography, and portfolios of the work of new and unknown artists, it presented over a period of years a superb and comprehensive survey of Art Nouveau illustration by virtually every British and Continental artist of the period.
The selection in this volume includes both the best and the most typical in Art Nouveau. The 199 illustrations are mostly graphic arts material: book covers, posters and advertisements, title pages and end pages, bookplates, menus, Christmas cards, decorative alphabets, engraved and decorated poems, and a variety of designs and patterns. The artists include Walter Crane, Aubrey Beardsley, Will Bradley, A. A. Turbayne, Enid Jackson, R. Anning Bell, R. M. Bradley, Jessie King, Mabel Syrett, J. D. Batten, and many others. Although the book is intended primarily to be a file for commercial artists and designers, it serves the less specialized reader admirably as a survey of the various graphic styles of Art Nouveau.