First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Through the first thoroughly annotated examination of books, articles, exhibition catalogs, and unpublished dissertations, the Art Nouveau period (1890-1905) is revealed as an era dedicated to design reform in all areas of the visual arts. An introductory essay examines the central issues addressed in the literature of the era: the unification of the arts, the necessity for change, the diversion from historical sources, and the importance of providing new directions with new materials. This opening essay presents the ways in which the bibliography is organized. Architecture, interior decoration, furniture, jewelry, bookbinding, posters, ceramics, glass, wallpaper, and textiles, are the subjects of critical documentation; annotated bibliographic entries provide evidence for the spread of design changes in France, Belgium, England, and the United States. These annotated entries are drawn from substantial literature of the actual period under investigation; later publications (until 1996) demonstrate the changes in ways in which the Art Nouveau period has been studied. The entries provide a chronological dimension to the critical literature, they also demonstrate the ways in which certain artists or issues have been studied at given moments in time.

Evil by Design documents the search for the origins of the iconic "femme fatale." Depicted as a dangerous, depraved, and deadly woman, this image was found frequently in Salon paintings from 1885 to 1910. Elizabeth K. Menon's study is the first to use popular sources to make the critical link between the femme fatale and the rise of feminism. In addition to the Salon paintings, Menon sifts through a variety of popular sources, including French illustrated journals, literature, posters, and decorative arts. Over 120 images depict women with serpents, evil flowers, and even miniature men having their hearts cooked. She argues that the evolution of the femme fatale, with both literary and visual links to the biblical Eve figure, came as a response to increasing feminism and the desire by men to halt its spread.