Merlans et algues, papier peint. Mouches et muguet, étoffe de soie. Hermine vulgaire, bordure. 1897

This is a design for wallpaper and silk textile, by Maurice Pillard Verneuil, from the height of the Art Nouveau period. Verneuil, like many artists of his era, was fascinated by the natural world, but looked at it with an eye toward industrial production. This print shows three possibilities for decorative patterns. Note how he translates organic motifs into repeating, stylized forms: fish and seaweed, an ermine, and sprigs of lily of the valley. These could be readily adapted to the industrial processes of textile printing and wallpaper manufacture. It would have been the job of skilled artisans to translate Verneuil's designs into finished products – technicians operating complex machinery. The overall effect is one of sumptuousness and luxury, made possible by the division of creative and manual labor. Designs like these helped to popularize Art Nouveau, bringing its aesthetic into fashionable homes. They also raise questions about the relationship between nature, art, and mass production – questions that remain relevant today.