Art Monograph. From the internet: It is generally agreed that Hector Guimard introduced the Art Nouveau style to French architecture. He is also considered a leading proponent of Gesamtkunstwerk (totally integrated work of art) in public and private spaces alike. Perhaps most famously, his modular entrance ways to the Paris Metropolitan railway heralded the French capital's modernity as it prepared to host the World's Fair of 1900. Shortly after the fair, Guimard joined forces with coalitions seeking to improve living conditions in Paris through innovative architecture and industrial design. In addition, he was one of the first architects in France to successfully practice without a diploma from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, thereby advancing his profession's independence from State control.