Hector Guimard, designer

This window's asymmetrical "whiplash" curves exhibit the Art Nouveau aesthetic, enhanced by artist Hector Guimard's characteristically elegent touch. He designed this piece for the renovation of a country house south of Paris, creating a scheme that united all elements, from the façade to the fabrics, furniture to lighting.

Centered in turn-of-the-century Paris, artists working in the Art Nouveau style proposed a spirited, modern aesthetic derived from nature--a break from the reigning classical influence of the Parisian École des Beaux-Arts. The window's sinuous flamboyance is also found in what is perhaps Guimard's most famous design, the entrances for the Paris Metro, created at nearly the same time.