Art Deco & Art Nouveau Quiz

Test your knowledge of Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture: Chrysler Building, Gaudí, the 1925 Paris Exposition, and more. 10 questions.

1. Art Nouveau emerged in the 1890s. In which decade did Art Deco rise to prominence?
   Answer: 1920s
   Art Deco flourished in the 1920s and 1930s, embodying the optimism of the Jazz Age and the machine aesthetic after World War I, in contrast to Art Nouveau's pre-war organic romanticism.
2. The Chrysler Building's iconic crown is sheathed in which distinctive material?
   Answer: Stainless steel
   The Chrysler Building's eagle gargoyles and sunburst crown are clad in Nirosta stainless steel — a gleaming Art Deco signature that has never been repainted or refinished since 1930.
3. Which architect is most closely associated with Art Nouveau through his iconic Paris Métro entrances?
   Answer: Hector Guimard
   Hector Guimard designed the sinuous cast-iron Métro entrance canopies (from 1900) that became Art Nouveau's most iconic urban furniture — so much so that the style was nicknamed 'Style Métro' in France.
4. Art Deco's aesthetic is best described as celebrating the:
   Answer: Machine age and geometric precision
   Art Deco embraced industrial production, geometric forms, bold colours, and speed — it was the visual language of the Jazz Age and reflected fascination with the machine, aviation, and modernity.
5. The name 'Art Deco' derives from which 1925 event in Paris?
   Answer: Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs
   The Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (Paris, 1925) gave Art Deco its name, showcasing the style's blend of luxury craft, geometric ornament, and modern materials.
6. A building described as having flowing, plant-inspired ornament, curved lines, and asymmetrical facades — which style is this?
   Answer: Art Nouveau
   Art Nouveau is defined by organic, naturalistic ornament drawn from plants and insects, sinuous curves, and asymmetry — the opposite of Art Deco's angular, geometric boldness.
7. Which city is home to the world's most intact Art Deco architectural district?
   Answer: Miami South Beach
   Miami's South Beach historic district contains over 800 protected Art Deco buildings from the 1920s–1940s, featuring pastel facades, porthole windows, and 'eyebrow' sun shades — the world's largest concentration of Art Deco architecture.
8. Belgian architect Victor Horta is significant to Art Nouveau for which building, completed in 1893?
   Answer: Hôtel Tassel
   Hôtel Tassel (Brussels, 1893) is widely considered the first true Art Nouveau building — Horta used exposed iron, mosaic floors, and whiplash-curve ornament throughout, unifying structure and decoration.
9. Art Deco skyscrapers are characterised by which facade treatment, originally required by New York City zoning laws?
   Answer: Setback facades that step back as the building rises
   New York's 1916 Zoning Resolution mandated setbacks to allow light to reach the street — architects turned this requirement into an aesthetic virtue, creating the distinctive wedding-cake silhouette of Art Deco towers.
10. Which of these buildings is NOT an example of Art Deco design?
    Answer: Fallingwater, Pennsylvania
    Fallingwater (1939) is Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece of Organic Modernism — its cantilevered concrete trays and integration with the landscape are the antithesis of Art Deco's urban geometric glamour.