Colourful Art Nouveau Patterns by Mucha, Verneuil & Auriol

Combinaisons Ornementales is a fabulous 1901 Art Nouveau pattern book by Mucha, Verneuil, and Auriol, packed with 43 bold, colourful floral, geometric, and quirky designs, all free to download.

If you love bold colour and beautiful vintage patterns, Combinaisons Ornementales is a real treat. Published in Paris in 1901, this wonderful Art Nouveau design book contains 60 colourful plates by Maurice Pillard Verneuil, Georges Auriol and Alphonse Mucha.

The designs range from stylised flowers, leaves, birds and insects to bold geometric and abstract motifs. Some feel unmistakably Art Nouveau, while others look surprisingly modern and wouldn't seem out of place on today's fabrics, wallpaper or stationery.

A Clever Art Nouveau Pattern Book

What makes Combinaisons Ornementales particularly interesting is the idea behind it. Its full French title translates roughly as Ornamental Combinations Multiplying to Infinity with the Aid of a Mirror.

The designs were intended to be experimented with using two mirrors joined together. By placing them over a motif and changing the angle, the reflections could transform a relatively simple design into all sorts of repeating and symmetrical patterns. Think of it as a rather ingenious 1901 pattern generator, with no computer required.

The book brings together three important names in decorative design. Alphonse Mucha is probably the most familiar, famous for his elegant Art Nouveau posters, but the patterns here reveal a much more graphic side to his work. Maurice Pillard Verneuil was also a prolific Art Nouveau designer, known for turning flowers and other natural forms into decorative motifs. You can see more of his work alongside Eugène Grasset in this beautiful collection of Art Nouveau botanical patterns.

The Colourful Patterns

What really attracted me to this book was the colour. Gorgeous combinations of pink, green, orange, blue, yellow, and red are used in ways that feel remarkably fresh for designs created more than 120 years ago.

You'll spot flowers, foliage, butterflies, birds and other natural forms that have been simplified and rearranged into decorative shapes. Other designs are much more abstract, and sometimes it's difficult to work out the original inspiration, which is part of the fun.

I've featured 43 of the colourful plates from Combinaisons Ornementales below for you to download and enjoy for free.

How to Download the Art Nouveau Patterns

Click on the title above the pattern you want to download. This will open a higher-resolution version of the image in a new window.

On a desktop computer, right-click the image and choose Save Image As to save it to your computer. On a phone or tablet, press and hold the image and select the option to save or download it.

The vintage patterns are in the public domain, so they're wonderful image resources for junk journals, collage, decoupage, papercrafts, digital projects and other creative ideas. Or print and frame a favourite for some very colourful vintage wall art.

Art Nouveau Patterns 1-11

Pattern 1: Berries, Grasses, Leaves & Waves

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with flowing bands, grasses, berries, and geometric wave motifs in teal, ochre, and red.

Pattern 2: Floral Motifs Green Orange Black

Combinaisons Ornementales plate of floral and foliate Art Nouveau motifs in green, orange, black, and gold.

Print 3: Looping Ribbon Borders

More looping Art Nouveau-style borders and ribbons are in Strongs Design Book.

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with bold red, black, and gold looping border patterns and ribbon-like ornament.

Pattern 4: Abstract Scrolls Triangle Motif

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with sweeping abstract scrolls and triangular motifs in ochre, green, and dark blue.

Pattern 5: Red Botanical Patterns

Combinations Ornementales plate of red floral borders, pinecone panels, leaf squares, and stylised plant forms.

Combinaisons Ornementales plate of red floral borders, pinecone panels, leaf squares, and stylized plant forms.

Pattern 6: Terracotta & Green Panels

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with terracotta and green geometric scroll panels and mirrored linear ornament.

Pattern 7: Green and Orange Motifs

The top-left motif features three flying insects, a popular theme in Art Nouveau design. For a particularly spectacular example, take a look at E.A. Séguy’s colourful pochoir insects; some of the most striking insect designs of the period.

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with green and orange floral, leaf, and abstract botanical motifs inside a black border.

Pattern 8: teal Leaves Black vines

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with teal leaves, black vine panels, and delicate green botanical scroll designs.

Print 9: Orange, Green Abstract Panels

Combinaisons Ornementales plate of symmetrical orange, green, and brown abstract panels with stylized mask-like motifs.

Pattern 10: Pale Green Foliage Spray Pink Flowers

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with pale green foliage sprays, pink flowers, and a central diamond leaf pattern.

Pattern 11: Peacock Feathers

Peacock feathers were a favourite Art Nouveau motif, with their flowing curves, jewel-like colours and distinctive eye patterns perfectly suited to the style’s love of nature and ornament.

Combinaisons Ornementales plate featuring peacock feather patterns and vertical green feather motifs in an Art Nouveau style.

Patterns 12-22

Art Nouveau designers certainly weren't afraid of colour. Nature provided much of the inspiration, with peacock blues, leafy greens, warm ochres, dusty pinks and rich reds often appearing together. The combinations could be surprisingly bold and sometimes a little unexpected, which is probably why so many of these century-old patterns still look wonderfully fresh today.

Pattern 12: Motifs on Dark Teal

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with abstract white lettering-like motifs on dark teal and small decorative emblems.

Pattern 13: Orange Fountain Green Foliage

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with an orange central fountain-like floral motif framed by green scrolling foliage.

Print 14: Berry Panels

Combinaisons Ornementales plate of pale green and red floral borders, berry panels, and repeating botanical patterns.

Print 15: Seahorses

Seahorses were a natural fit for Art Nouveau, with their curling tails, wonderfully odd shapes and flowing outlines. Along with fish, shells and other marine life, they gave designers plenty of inspiration for the style’s love of sinuous curves and decorative forms.

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with repeating black seahorses, green scroll panels, and tall floral border ornament.

Pattern 16: Ochre, Orange Green Patterns

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with circular and tiled Art Nouveau patterns in teal, ochre, orange, and dark green.

Pattern 17: Orange Circular Medalians

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with orange circular floral medallions and a vertical green botanical border design.

Print 18: Abstract Wing-Like Scrolls

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with abstract wing-like scroll forms and red, green, black, and blue geometric ornament.

Pattern 19: Black Birds, Fish, Butterflies

The nature-inspired patterns in this print are very reminiscent of Verneuil’s Art Nouveau animal designs, where birds, insects, fish and other creatures are simplified and transformed into bold decorative motifs. It’s a wonderful example of how Art Nouveau designers borrowed shapes from the natural world and turned them into something beautifully graphic.

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with black birds, orange fish, butterflies, and repeating nature-inspired decorative bands.

Pattern 20: Green Eye-like Foliage

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with green eye-like foliage forms, triangular details, and delicate black line decoration.

Print 21: Green Leaves Coral Flowers

Combinaisons Ornementales plate showing green leaves and coral-red flowers in a flat botanical decorative composition.

Pattern 22: Turquoise Plant Panels

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with turquoise plant panels, wave borders, black accents, and stylized aquatic motifs.

Patterns 23-33

Pattern 23: Green Trees

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with tall green floral stems, spiral black patterns, and geometric plant ornament.

Pattern 24: Pink Blossom

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with mirrored floral columns, leafy borders, and small pink blossoms in green and red.

Print 25: Orange and Green Motifs

Orange floral clusters, green peacock-feather motif, roses, and abstract line designs.

Pattern 26: Berries on Blue

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with blue-green berry and leaf patterns, wave borders, and pale botanical ornament.

Pattern 27: Green and Orange Patterns

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with green, ochre, and orange circular rosette, leaf, and shell-like decorative motifs.

Print 28: Yellow Shell Brown Waves

Combinaisons Ornementales plate of yellow shell forms, floral stems, waves, and looping border patterns.

Pattern 29: Abstract Dark Brown & Orange

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with dark brown and orange abstract central ornament, trees, waves, and spiral borders.

Pattern 30: Starburst

Plate with starburst, grape clusters, floral stalk, and interlaced circular motifs in green and ochre.

Pattern 31: Orange Flower Garland

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with orange floral spirals, green scalloped fan motif, and geometric plant borders.

Pattern 32: Teal Leaf Border

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with teal leaf borders, berries, flowing water-like lines, and a central ornamental panel.

Print 33: Small Abstract Motifs

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with small abstract floral and geometric motifs in orange, green, yellow, and red.

Patterns 34-44

Pattern 34: Central Tree Ornament

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with hanging floral strips, central tree-like ornament, and slender vine borders.

Pattern 35: Bell Flowers, Pine Cones

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with green and black botanical silhouettes, bell-shaped flowers, and fan-like plant forms.

Print 36: Female Figure, Birds

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with winged female figure, birds, flowers, and flowing orange-green Art Nouveau ornament.

Pattern 37: Green Plant Stands

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with paired green plant stands and a dark circular floral medallion.

Pattern 38: Butterflies

Butterflies were a favourite motif in Art Nouveau, and it’s easy to see why. Their graceful shapes, symmetrical wings and intricate natural patterns were perfect for transforming into flowing, decorative designs. For an especially colourful example, take a look at E.A. Séguy’s spectacular pochoir butterfly prints, where the markings and colours of real butterflies become works of art in themselves.

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with three butterflies, orange flower wreath, and square floral panels.

Pattern 39: Orange Flowers

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with flowing floral scrolls, blossoms, foliage sprays, and a curved orange-and-green border.

Pattern 40: Red Thistles & Holly

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with red thistle-like border, purple scrolls, and repeating red leaf-and-flower motifs.

Print 41: Yellow Flowers

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with stylized flowers, leafy vines, pale green rosettes, and red mushroom-like motifs.

Pattern 42: Orange Circular Motifs

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with red geometric bands, orange circular motifs, and green looping border ornament.

Pattern 43: Blue Bramble Leaves

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with blue-green bramble leaves, purple berries, and fine grasses in the foreground.

Print 44: Green Motifs

Combinaisons Ornementales plate with green foliate motifs, black corner dots, and ochre, green, and dark blue abstract scroll designs.

More Colourful Vintage Patterns

I love finding old design books like Combinaisons Ornementales. They're a reminder that bold colours, graphic shapes and clever pattern design are certainly nothing new. More than 120 years later, many of these designs would still look perfectly at home on fabric, wallpaper or wrapping paper.

If these colourful designs have whetted your appetite for more Art Nouveau, there are plenty of other fabulous pattern collections on Picture Box Blue. The French Art Nouveau prints are full of wonderfully decorative floral and natural motifs. At the same time, L'Écolier Décorateur has a gorgeous collection of Art Nouveau decorative patterns with plenty of inspiration from the natural world.

For even more colour, E.A. Séguy's Floréal pattern designs are hard to beat, with their bold stylised flowers and fabulous colour combinations. You might also enjoy Koloman Moser's Art Nouveau patterns, which have a strikingly graphic and surprisingly modern feel.

Finally, take a look at Martin Gerlach's beautiful vintage plant art, where flowers and plants are arranged with a wonderfully decorative eye; another lovely example of how nature provided endless inspiration for designers of the period.

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