Henri Privat-Livemont
Henri Privat-Livemont was a Belgian artist who lived from 1861 to 1936. Trained as an interior decorator, Livemont is most remembered for his Art Nouveau style poster art. He was the preeminent Belgian artist working in this field.
Livemont studied at the Ecole des Arts Decoratives in Saint-Josse-ten-Node, near Schaerbeek in Belgium, before moving to Paris in the 1880s. While in Paris, Livemont worked at the studios of Lemaire, Lavastre, and Duvignaud as an interior decorator. He designed decor for prestigious Parisian establishments such as the Comédie-Française (or Théâtre-Français) and the Hotel de Ville.
In the late 1880s, Livemont moved back to Brussels. He started his career into lithography art by accident, after winning a poster art competition. This advent into lithography gained him a lot of commission work for venues and products and soon he had his own studio. His works were well-received and were included in Les Maîtres de l’Affiche (Masters of the Poster) publications that were published by Jules Chéret between 1896 and 1900. He created the poster for the 1897 Exposition Internationale that was held in Brussels of that same year.
In addition to posters, Livemont also worked as an interior decorator for theaters, hotels, and casinos, mastering the technique of sgraffito. After the decline of poster art, he shifted his art focus to photography and oil paintings, while continuing with interior design. Livemont remained in Belgium until his death in 1936 at 75 years of age.
Livemont was a contemporary with Alphonse Mucha. though Livemont started his career earlier. Both artists moved to Paris in the 1880s and although their styles are somewhat different, both feature beautiful women surrounded by delicate lines and floral designs.
Back to the Artists page.
You can learn about different art movements here.
