Henry van de velde biography definition

Henry van de Velde (), Belgian painter, designer, architect, and writer, was the chief theoretician of Art Nouveau, champion of the applied arts, and prominent in developing a new architectural expression in Europe in the early 20th century.

Henry van de Velde was born on April 3, , in Antwerp, the son of an apothecary.

He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts there () and then with E. A. Carolus-Duran in Paris (). In he joined a group of artists known as Les XX in Brussels and, with the publication of his lecture Déblaiement d'art (), emerged as the group's spokesman.

Influenced by the theories of William Morris and the English Arts and Crafts movement, Van de Velde abandoned painting and turned his attention to architecture and the applied arts.

The building of his own house, Bloemenwerf, at Uccle near Brussels () marked the beginning of his new career. For this house he designed all the furniture and appointments.

Van de Velde moved to Germany