secesní

Secesní is the Czech adjective for the Secession, describing the style and artistic movement known as Secese in the Czech lands, part of the broader Art Nouveau trend in Europe. The term is used for architecture, design, painting and graphics from the late 19th to early 20th century, roughly 1890s–1910s, when Czech artists and designers joined the international Secession movement within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Secesní works are characterized by flowing, organic lines, plant and floral motifs, asymmetrical compositions, and a reconciliation of applied arts with architecture. They often employed new materials and craft techniques, such as wrought iron, glass, tile, and decorative façades that integrated buildings with interiors.

Key figures in the Czech Secese include architect Jan Kotěra, who helped establish a national branch of the movement in Czech architecture, and the graphic artist Alfons Mucha, whose posters and graphics popularized the style’s decorative aesthetics.

The Secese movement waned around the 1910s as avant-garde movements such as Cubism and modern architecture emerged; however, its influence persisted in Czech design and in the historical vocabulary of Czech architecture. The adjective secesní remains in use to describe works from that period and related decorative arts.

In Czech discourse, secesní is used to label a stylistic phase characterized by ornate, nature-inspired ornamentation and a synthesis of arts and crafts.