Henri privat livermont biography sample

Renowned Belgian artist Henri Privat-Livemont is primarily known for his sensuous art nouveau posters but also for producing some of the finest examples of ‘sgraffiti’ wall decor. He trained at the studios of Lemaire, Lavastre & Duvignaud in Paris and, during the early part of his career, undertook various decorative projects for prestigious Parisian patrons - both public and private.

He became a poster designer somewhat by chance after winning a competition in Schaerbeek and this defining moment led to him producing many of the most iconic designs of the period. He’s often compared with his eminent contemporary Alphonse Mucha. He’s represented in numerous public collections including at the V&A.

Exhibited

Paris Salon, Haarlem, Rotterdam.

Public Collections

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona, V&A Museum, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Art Museum at Rutgers University, Art Institute of Chicago.

Timeline

1861

Born in Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium. The son of a coal trader.

1873

Studied at the École des Arts Decoratifs in Sint-Joost-ten-Node under Louis Hendrickx.

1883-1889

Trained and worked in the studios of Lemaire, Lavastre & Duvignaud in Paris.
Assisted with the decor for the Theatre Français and the Hôtel de Ville, Paris.

Married the model Madeleine ‘Madelon’ Brown.

1889

Returned to Schaerbeek.
Won a poster design competition for the Cercle Artistique de Schaerbeek, a local art appreciation society. This provided the motivation to focus on posters.

Begins work as a draughtsman and correspondent for Le Monde Illustré. Also undertook some work for La Réforme.

1891-1935

Taught ‘Ornament, Figure and Ornamental Composition’ at the Josephat School for Drawing and Crafts.

1896

Designed a poster for Absinthe Robette, which is today regarded as one of the most iconic designs of the Art Nouveau period.

1897

Designed a poster for the Brussels International Exposition.

1900

Produced his f

After the huge success* of their solo-exhibition about Alphonse Mucha’s lithographic work, the Dutch Museum of Lithography is currently showing another solo-exhibition: Privat-Livemont, Master of Belgian Art Nouveau. Oddly enough, the whole world knows about Alphonse Mucha, but Privat-Livemont has remained a rather unknown artist. So, who was Henri Privat-Livemont?

* During the corona-pandemic the Dutch Museum of Lithography was closed for four months and yet it managed to attract over 10.000 visitors to the Mucha exhibition.

The uncontested master of the Belgian posterists

In 1898, a contemporary critic wrote about Privat-Livemont in the prestigious English magazine The Poster: “Privat-Livemont, now the uncontested master of the Belgian posterists… his works display not only excellent drawings and luxuriant elegance in design, but fine composition and a harmony of exquisite colours; he has gained many imitators in Belgium. It has been insinuated that Privat-Livemont was an imitator of Mucha. Such an absurd legend we distinctly deny. Livemont is an artist ever seeking for original ideas, a lover of his art, and so sure of his own powers that he can rely on himself for inspiration.“

Henri Privat-Livemont (1861–1936)

Privat-Livemont was born in Schaerbeek, a suburb north-east of Brussels. In 1873 (only 12 years old) he entered the École des Arts Decoratifs, the school for the decorative arts. After finishing his education in 1883, he moved to Paris on a state scholarship. Livemont stayed in Paris for 6 years, studying decorative painting. But he also experimented with portraits and landscapes, regularly displaying his work at the Salons. When the state ended his scholarship in 1889, Privat-Livemont returned to Schaerbeek. He had just married Madeleine ‘Madelon’ Brown. Their son Franz was born in Belgium in 1891. Madelon regularly modelled for her husband and we can assume that she is

Biography

One of the leading artists of the Belle Epoque in France and Belgium, Henri Privat Antoine Livemont, known as Privat-Livemont, studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Sint-Josse-ten-Noode before earning a scholarship to complete his training in Paris, where he lived and worked for six years, between 1883 and 1889. He initially won a commission to work on part of the decoration of the Hôtel de Ville, but soon fell foul of a new law that prohibited non-French artists from working on official civic projects. Nevertheless, he worked in the studio of the scenographer Jean-Baptiste Lavastre, where he created stage designs for a production of Hamlet at the Théâtre Français, where he also worked on the interior decoration of the theatre. On his return to Belgium in 1889 he settled in Schaerbeek, in the northern part of Brussels. He received several important commissions, notably the decoration of the provincial government building in the city of Hasselt. Privat-Livemont worked with several architects and designed the interiors of a number of private homes in Brussels, as well as painting murals for a theatre in Ostend. Privat-Livemont’s career as a painter, decorator, lithographer and commercial and magazine illustrator was a very successful one. (The artist’s letterhead noted that he was a purveyor of ‘Art posters and prints. Decorations for apartments. Traditional and modern styles. Sgraffiti’.) He became especially known as a designer of Art Nouveau posters, which he began producing in 1890, when he produced a striking poster for an exhibition in Schaerbeek, and this soon led to other commissions for posters, notably for the Cercle Artistique de Schaerbeek. By 1900 Privat-Livemont had designed some thirty posters, many published by the artist himself, and had also taken up lithography and printmaking. Among his best-known posters are those for the Casino de Cabourg and such products as Absint

When it comes to the swirls and whirls of Art Nouveau, Henri Privat-Livemont’s name shines brightly. Born in 1861 in Schaerbeek, Brussels, this Belgian artist brought a unique flair to the world of poster art, becoming a defining figure of the Art Nouveau movement​​​.

Artistic Style

Privat-Livemont’s art was a characterized by flowing lines and organic shapes, adorned with flat, complimentary colors. He had a knack for portraying beautiful women paired with flowing greenery, along with the era’s distinct lettering style.

His posters weren’t just pretty faces; they advertised events and products like coffee, biscuits and chocolate thanks to a perfect balance of form and function​.

Henri Privat-Livemont vs. Alphonse Mucha

Both celebrated for their Art Nouveau posters, Privat-Livemont and Mucha shared a common aesthetic. Privat-Livemont’s designs were known for their delicate intricacy and often featured lovely young ladies, a theme prevalent in Mucha’s work as well.

However, Privat-Livemont’s approach to design, while resonating with the same decorative principles as Mucha’s, emerged independently and prior to Mucha’s rise to fame.

Both artists utilized their talents in service of commercial enterprise, but Privat-Livemont came to poster art accidentally through interior design, which led him to lithography and eventually to establish his own studio in Brussels​.

Henri Privat-Livemont’s Legacy:

Perhaps his most iconic work, the “Absinthe Robette” poster, epitomizes the spirit of Art Nouveau. The red-haired woman holding a glass of absinthe became so celebrated that it catapulted the artist to international fame.

His influence extended beyond his lifetime, with his works finding their way to institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris​

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