Style & movement
Art Deco
A decorative style associated especially with the 1920s and 1930s, marked by geometry, symmetry, stylised motifs and luxurious materials.
- Category
- Style & movement
- Index letter
- A
Understanding the term
Art Deco ranges from streamlined machine-age forms to opulent interiors. Stepped silhouettes, sunbursts, zigzags and contrasts between glossy and matt surfaces recur across graphics, furniture, jewellery, glass and architecture.
When Art Deco is used as a style label, it points to a family of formal qualities and ideas rather than a fixed recipe. Periods and movements overlap, and a single work may draw on several styles.
The label becomes more precise when considered alongside date, composition, colour, materials and historical context. A style can inspire work long after its original period, so appearance alone does not date an object.
Related entries
Continue through the glossary with terms from the same field.