Let me take you way back to the 1890s, when minimalism is out and fanciful Art Nouveau is in. My first exposure to this style was seeing one of my mom’s favorite prints in her room, Absinthe Robette.
What is Art Nouveau?
New art, or Art Nouveau was a popular art movement from around the 1890s to the start of WW1. It mimicked aspects of nature with its curving, free-flowing, organic feel. It encompassed paintings, furniture, architecture, patterns, and art. It was the precursor to the more modern movements, such as Art Deco, that focused on sleek lines and eliminated excessive decoration.
Henri Privat-Livemont
Henri was born in 1861, Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium. At age 12, he studied at École des Arts Decoratifs in Sint-Joost-ten-Node, Belgium under Louis Hendrickx. Then, he moved to Paris in the 1880s to work with the studios of Lemaire, Lavastre & Duvignaud to learn interior decorating. Henri was initially an interior decorator for very wealthy families. Although most famous for his iconic posters, it happened by chance. He won a local poster competition around 1889 and decided to lean more into them. With new economic demands, the need for poster advertisements increased and Privat-Livemont rode the wave. Some prominent works of his include the aforementioned Absinthe Robette and the 1897 Exposition Internationale (a World’s Fair held in Belgium) poster. He kept himself busy teaching ‘Ornament, Figure and Ornamental Composition’ at the Josephat School for Drawing and Crafts from 1891-1935. After the decline of poster art he kept interior decorating, oil painting, and photography.
Non-poster-related work
For more info I highly suggest checking out this blog post! It goes more into depth on Privat-Livemont as well as his rival Alphonse Mucha.
Sources
- https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm
- https://aboutartnouveau.wordpress.com/2022/06/18/first-solo-exhibit-for-privat-livemont-in-100-years-and-yet-his-work-is-incredibly-refreshing/
- https://bravefineart.com/blogs/artist-directory/privat-livemont-henri-1861-1936?srsltid=AfmBOopkp5EQYU_e6DZbAeRt5cSSPkdni4wXDAGCuCDnA3stg9-yUhaK
- https://www.myddoa.com/artists/henri-privat-livemont/
Is there anything I missed? Have you heard of this legendary Belgian designer? Let me know below.
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