The creators of Art Nouveau advocated the end of the distinction between high art such as painting and minor art such as decoration. They believed art should inspire people in their daily lives by involving buildings, furnishings, home decor, utensils and even plumbing fixtures. According to art professor Ian Johnston, the idea of merging art with utilitarian objects was partially inspired by a reaction to the ugly manufactured goods that were beginning to dominate 19th-century life, making traditional crafts obsolete. Some socialists and free thinkers adopted Art Nouveau as an international style for creating art for all people.
The Arts and Crafts movement of the 1860's had an important philosophical influence on Art Nouveau. The Arts and Crafts movement was inspired by designer William Morris and art critic John Ruskin. They admired medieval craftsmen and advocated a return to traditional craftsmanship. One of the major visual influences on Art Nouveau was the Japanese art that entered the West after Japan was opened to trade in the 1850's. Many Westerners were intrigued by Japanese art's decorative qualities and conception of space and nature.
Art Nouveau took its sinuous lines and curves from the natural world. For many artists, the use of lines went beyond ornamentation and decoration. They saw these lines as visual symbols of spiritual energy. Many artists also saw their art as a tool for reinvigorating the spirit. This put them in opposition to a contemporary Aesthetic movement, which advocated "art for art's sake." The patterns of Art Nouveau lines took many forms, ranging from the symbolic to the floral and the organic. Some Art Nouveau glassware, for example, featured elaborate floral designs; featured simple geometric patterns.
Women were a prominent subject in paintings by such artists as Alfons Mucha, Aubrey Beardsley and Gustav Klimt. The women were often depicted in a highly sexual manner, but their direct gazes and confident postures conveyed a strong sense of power and independence. Art Nouveau artists were also some of the first to use sexy women in advertisements for products such as train tickets, cigarettes and bicycles. Although sexually provocative advertisements are commonplace today, they were new and fresh in the 19th century.
Art Nouveau was a major influence on 19th-century architecture. Architects such as Antoni Gaudi, Paul Hankar and Paul Saintenoy created dynamic buildings with ornamental structural elements, sinuous flowing lines, open floor-plans and ornamental facades. They frequently used cast iron, steel, glass, ceramic and reinforced concrete. They made use of technological innovations such as elevators and electric lights.