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Designed to rest across the rim of a glass, a perforated absinthe spoon held a sugar cube while cold water was slowly dripped through it into the drink below. The example linked with Toulouse-Lautrec bears his initials at the top of the grille, turning a practical café utensil into something distinctly personal.

For our calendar, we redrew the spoon to bring out its radiating pierced pattern and distinctive monogram – an unusually decorative solution to a very particular job.

Download our August artwork below as a free wallpaper for desktop, phone or tablet.

You can download our illustration for free here…

Download for free here…

Download our artwork for your mobile, tablet or desktop for free, here…

Although Thonet’s pioneering bentwood furniture actually predates Art Nouveau, those flowing curves later felt perfectly at home in the cafés and interiors of turn-of-the-century Vienna. Michael Thonet’s experiments with steam-bent wood also helped transform furniture manufacture, paving the way for elegant designs that could be produced on an industrial scale.

This isn’t the first time Thonet has appeared at Pickle. Back in 2017 Emma explored his wonderfully curvaceous Café Daum coat stand, and we’ve recently expanded that story with more about the development of bentwood furniture and why Thonet remains such an important figure in design history.

Emma has also taken a closer look at the timeless design of Thonet’s bentwood chairs on Design Debate, including their connections with Art Nouveau and Modernism.

This illustration forms part of our 2026 Art Nouveau calendar. You can download the April artwork for desktop, tablet and phone below.

Download our artwork for free, here…

Download our graphic illustration for free here…

While often attributed solely to Louis Comfort Tiffany, the Brooklyn Museum credits Clara Wolcott Driscoll (head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department at Tiffany Studios) with the design of this Dragonfly lamp. We were particularly drawn to this piece for its meticulous craftsmanship, a reminder that even everyday objects deserve time, care and beauty.

Enjoying the detail? We bring the same care to branding, print design and websites. If your business needs a fresh look for 2026, we’d love to hear from you.

Why Art Nouveau?

Art Nouveau felt like an ideal subject for the calendar because its visual language appears across so many different forms of design. Flowing lines, natural forms, decorative detail and careful craftsmanship can be found in everything from architecture and furniture to jewellery, glass, posters and everyday objects.

That variety gave us plenty to explore. The calendar moves between well-known designers and more unexpected pieces, including Tiffany’s Dragonfly Lamp, René Lalique jewellery, Hector Guimard’s Paris Métro entrance, a Thonet bentwood chair and stained glass by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Twelve pieces, one visual movement

Although the objects are very different, they share an emphasis on shape, ornament and craftsmanship. That gave the calendar a strong visual thread while still allowing every month to feel distinct.

Each illustration is our interpretation of the original piece rather than a literal reproduction. We wanted to keep enough of its character and detail to make the design recognisable, while giving the twelve months a consistent illustrated style of their own.

Each year at Pickle, we produce a limited run of calendars and post them to our clients and a handful of local businesses. It is always a joy to create. Throughout the year, we share more of the story behind each featured piece in our newsletter, alongside a matching wallpaper download.

The same attention to shape, detail and presentation runs through our branding, print design and websites. Contact us to discuss a project of your own.

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