ABSTRACT
Despite their respective idiosyncrasies, the Nabi painters as a group were often associated with the arabesque, which inhabits many of their works in the form of powerful lines sinuously running over the surface. The Nabi arabesque fulfills a groundbreaking role, however, extending beyond the mere charm of flowing lines. As a notion, it reveals a deep artistic questioning, seeking to undermine the system of academic values and, more specifically, challenge the codes of easel painting. Combining those two aspects, the Nabi arabesque functions as a tool of positioning in the artistic field, conveying the idea of a mild subversion. This chapter assesses how the arabesque actually breaks with a set of rules that once hierarchized not just artistic genres within painting but also painting in relation to the other arts. In that regard, the role of the decorative arts was crucial to help redefine modes of composition. A survey of Positivist literature shows how the Nabi arabesque as well as Denis’s theory of equivalences originated from this unexpected source. All things considered, the Nabi arabesque represents a cross-disciplinary notion that enabled the visual arts to reconnect with music and literature on a renewed and more equivalent basis.
