Art Nouveau, decorative art that flourished between 1890 and 1910 throughout Europe and the United States. This art style was characterized by its use of an extended, sinuous, organic line and was employed most frequently in architecture, interior design, jewelry and glass design, posters, and illustration. The primary school houses and interior decoration appeared in Brussels within the 1890s. It was known by various names, like the Glasgow Style, or, within the German-speaking world, Jugendstil. One primary objective of this art style was to interrupt the traditional distinction between fine arts (especially painting and sculpture) and applied arts.