Art & Statues
Art Deco Complete: The Definitive Guide to the Decorative Arts of the 1920s and 1930s
Written by Alastair Duncan, this sweeping 544-page hardcover surveys Art Deco across every major decorative medium. More than 1,000 color illustrations document furniture, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, glass, metalwork, and graphic design from the movement's peak years. Widely regarded as one of the most complete single-volume references on the subject, it draws on Duncan's decades of expertise as a historian and appraiser of twentieth-century design.
Alastair Duncan has spent much of his career studying and writing about Art Deco, and this volume reflects the breadth of that research. Rather than focusing on one country or medium, the book moves across the full range of Art Deco production, from French furniture makers and jewelers to American skyscraper ornament and European glassworks. Each chapter groups objects by medium, allowing readers to trace how the same underlying design principles played out differently in metal, wood, ceramic, and glass.
The illustrations make up much of the book's value, with over 1,000 color images showing pieces in detail that photographs in smaller references often miss. Furniture chapters include work from major French designers alongside lesser-known makers, while separate sections cover jewelry, sculpture, and the graphic arts that shaped Art Deco advertising and print design. Duncan's text provides context for each section, tracing how designers responded to new materials and changing tastes throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Duncan has built a reputation as one of the leading historians of Art Deco and Art Nouveau, having authored numerous books and served as a consultant to major auction houses and museums. His expertise shows in the depth of research behind this volume, which functions equally well as an introductory survey and a reference for advanced collectors. For anyone building a library on twentieth-century design, this book covers ground that few single volumes attempt.
