Top 51 Best Art Nouveau Tattoo Ideas – [2022 Inspiration Guide]

The long, elegant lines of the art nouveau style have long been appreciated in the world of design but recently, many people are looking to this classic style to inspire exciting art nouveau tattoos.

Originating across Europe near the end of the 20th century, art nouveau was a school of design that worked to blur the traditional lines between fine art and applied art. This new aesthetic was developed across several mediums, with the art nouveau approach being applied to architecture, graphic design, illustration and painting.

Gustav Klimt, Aubrey Beardsley and Alphonse Mucha are some of the biggest names who utilized this graceful approach to design inspiration, and these 51 art nouveau tattoo ideas carry on the tradition of this influential art movement.

1. Animal Inspired Art Nouveau Tattoos

Animals have been common elements in tattoo design for centuries and the clean lines and informed composition that is typical of art nouveau work is especially well suited for animal inspired tattoo art. The art nouveau tattoos in this collection use a variety of different animals as tattoo subjects: a lynx’s noble profile, a stoic wolf and the impressive visage of the shoebill stork are all perfectly utilized original design here.

It is also worth noting the way each tattoo artist incorporates elements like flowers and ornamental linework to improve the overall composition and make for more compelling art nouveau tattoo designs.

2. Full and Half Arm Sleeve Art Nouveau Tattoo Inspiration

Arm sleeve tattoos come in many forms. Some people add small and medium size designs until, slowly, their entire arm is covered. These art nouveau tattoo sleeves take a different, more comprehensive approach to imagination. By taking advantage of the entire arm as a single canvas, each tattoo artist is able to create big and exciting art nouveau inspired designs that are exceptional for their image details.

In full color and black and gray, these art nouveau tattoo sleeves demonstrate what is possible with the entire arm as a canvas for such a vintage approach to skin artwork.

3. Art Nouveau Tattoo Back Designs

By far the largest canvas on the body, the back is a great choice for any tattoo enthusiast with big ideas for their art nouveau designs. The work in this gallery provides stunning examples of the dramatic potential for art nouveau tattoo designs on such a large canvas as the back.

From a full color memorial to a beloved house cat, to a black and gray dragon that stretches across the entire back, these art nouveau tattoo designs show that this century old artwork style is as compelling today as it was in 1900.

4. Floral Art Nouveau Tattoo Designs

Flowers were common character elements in many of the original art nouveau art print illustrations that went on to define the style. They are also classic design elements in a number of tattoo styles, making flowers a great choice for an art nouveau tattoo.

The floral designs in this art nouveau gallery depict a number of different flower varieties-from classic poppy and roses, to a cute dandelion flower, complete with honey bee. They all maintain the precise lines and balanced composition typical of art nouveau painting and design.

5. Art Nouveau Tattoo Designs and Leg Placement

Another large canvas for tattooing, the legs are a great idea for anyone that wants a big tattoo with an added degree of discretion. Here, each tattooist takes full advantage of the canvas and applies striking designs that utilize vibrant colors and clean, consistent line work.

One black and gray piece, depicting a mermaid cast before the rays of the sun, is exceptional and demonstrates that, even with a monochromatic approach, the art nouveau style is just as compelling when applied to unique skin graphic design concepts.

6. Skulls in Art Nouveau Tattoo Designs

Another common element in the world of tattoo design, skulls are powerful symbols of death and mortality and when given the art nouveau treatment, they make for some especially exciting tattoos. The art nouveau tattoo designs in this collection perfectly demonstrate the versatility of skulls as design elements: from the sugar skulls of Dia de los Muertos, to a stylized fortune teller design, skulls can be applied to a variety of design concepts.

There is also an interesting intellectual juxtaposition that is created when skulls are incorporated into art nouveau designs, a style that was characterized by depictions of beauty and life.

7. Women Inspired Art Nouveau Tattoo Designs

Some of the best and most famous examples of art nouveau designs feature women as the artist’s muse: Alphonse Mucha’s vintage ad for Job cigarettes depicts a woman lost in the ecstasy of a smoke and has become the face of the art nouveau aesthetic.

Here, each artist takes a slightly different approach but they all remain true to the art nouveau style. One tattoo artist perfectly recreates Mucha’s Zodiac, while another takes a more playful approach and reimagines the Bride of Frankenstein in a classic, art nouveau depiction of the monster’s wife.

Art Nouveau Tattoo FAQs

What was the art nouveau movement?

The art nouveau movement was a deliberate attempt to create a new artistic and typography style that eschewed the focus on historical imitation prevalent in much of the previous 19th century art and design. Art nouveau is characterized by the use of long, elegant lines and organic motifs and this approach was applied by a range of independent artists- to posters, illustration, painting, sculpture and, importantly, architecture.

What does an art nouveau tattoo represent?

For many people, art nouveau tattoo designs are used by their favorite artist to commemorate the powerful images and classic style that they have loved since childhood. This clean illustrative approach is especially well suited for greeting cards, static image or portrait tattoos. An art nouveau tattoo is a great way to show one’s love of art and drawing to the world.

What’s the difference between art nouveau and art deco?

While art nouveau and art deco are both schools of design that became especially popular in architecture, they differ in some major ways, most notably in their use of lines. Art nouveau is typified by long, sinuous lines that are often reminiscent of organic shapes, while art deco utilizes sharp angles and straight lines to create a style and shape that is much more rigid and geometric than the earlier art nouveau approach.

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