The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art
June 13 – October 4, 2026
The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art brings together approximately 120 of the finest Art Nouveau treasures from the rich holdings of the Chrysler Museum of Art, drawing primarily from the collection of Walter P. and Jean Chrysler.
The Triumph of Nature celebrates the florid, languorous curves, natural motifs, and refined elegance of Art Nouveau furniture, glass, and other works that have entranced generations of collectors and museumgoers since the apex of this brief but intense movement around the turn of the twentieth century.
June 13–Oct 4
Admission includes viewing the mansion, gardens, and “The Triumph of Nature” exhibition
Open daily
10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Reservations recommended
$17 Adult
$10 Youth
Free for Paine Members
Free for children ages 4 and under
Closed 4th of July and Labor Day
Free Admission on Father’s Day
Enjoy free admission to the mansion and gardens on Father’s Day
Sunday, June 21
9:00 AM–4:00 PM
No reservations necessary
Free
About the Exhibition
The Triumph of Nature brings together approximately 120 of the finest Art Nouveau treasures from the rich holdings of the Chrysler Museum of Art of Norfolk, Virginia. This comprehensive exhibition celebrates the florid, languorous curves, natural motifs, and refined elegance of Art Nouveau furniture, glass, and other artworks that have entranced generations of collectors and museumgoers since the apex of this brief but intense movement around the turn of the twentieth century.
Designing for a range of clients and settings including domestic and commercial interiors, innovative artists such as Hector Guimard, Louis Majorelle, Émile Gallé, Alphonse Mucha, and Louis Comfort Tiffany fashioned their eclectic works to play off each other in harmonious visual arrangements, conceiving Art Nouveau as an enveloping style. Drawn from one of the country’s finest and most extensive collections of Art Nouveau, The Triumph of Nature gathers a profusion of artworks and accessories—furniture, paintings, sculptures, mosaic, books, posters, lamps, glass, and other stunning objets d’art—all of them originally designed to complement each other in elaborate interior ensembles.
The sensual, luxurious, and also practical works of art in this exhibition were nearly all collected by a single couple: Walter P. and Jean Outland Chrysler. In 1971, the Chryslers pledged their 25,000-piece collection to the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences, which became the Chrysler Museum of Art in their honor. Rich in paintings, sculpture, and glass, their original donation included almost no furniture or decorative arts; these were across the street at the Chrysler home, where the couple housed many of their stunning Art Nouveau objects and furnishings. It is this collection the Chrysler Museum of Art is pleased to share with visitors across the country through this traveling exhibition: works by the major artists and artisans of this unique movement that dominated European art and design from about 1890 to 1914. Embracing curvilinear designs, floral motifs, and elaborate ornamentation, these artists were inspired by nature, as well as by the exotic traditions of Japan, Byzantium, and North Africa. They created works of unparalleled richness, sensuality, movement, and opulence that continue to astonish and seduce lovers of art and design today.
Lead Sponsor
The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.
Become a Paine Member!
Paine Members enjoy a year of free or reduced admission to the mansion, gardens, and art exhibitions, plus invitations to special events, discounts on purchases, and more!