A wolf in sheep’s clothing: designed by Henry van de Velde, Hôtel Wolfers is frozen in a state of ruin, an artwork in its own right Conspicuous in a genteel southern suburb of mild-mannered 19th-century townhouses in Brussels, the round-cornered, Roman-bricked Hôtel Wolfers was designed in 1929 by Henry van de Velde. Like the progressive German designers at the time, van de Velde was connected with the Deutscher Werkbund, and he designed the theatre for the Werkbund Exposition in Cologne in 1914. Noted architect Henry van de Velde (1863-1957) designed gorgeous, modern buildings and interiors in his now famous Art Nouveau style. His radical ideas on design education were absorbed into the Bauhaus. The design and installation of large windows provided the students with natural light. What Van de Velde was to Art Nouveau architecture Walter Gropius was to Bauhaus. Image source: https://www.dw.com. One of his most important commissions came in 1895 when he designed the interiors and furniture for the famed Maison de l’Art Nouveau in Paris. Graphite on paper. As a student Vincent Van Duysen already considered architecture in a wider context. Van de Velde was the director there from 1902 - 1917. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Other impressive Weimar buildings include Van de Velde’s house Hohe Pappeln (1907/1908), the Dürckheim villa (1912/1913) and the Henneberg villa (1913/1914). Another is the airy interior he designed for the Nietzsche Archives that houses the papers of noted German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche. But there’s significance in this, too, as Henry and Maria van de Velde were passionate about being outside and in their garden. Fonds Henry van de Velde, ENSAV La Cambre. Henry van de Velde (1863–1957), Design for the final site of the Nietzsche Memorial, 1911–1912. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Today the villa houses a museum that presents Van de Velde’s work in an unparalleled fashion. He has 2 children Nele van de Velde, Thylbert van de Velde. His range was prodigious: from furniture, jewellery and dress design to interiors and entire buildings. In each he adhered to the principal of exposing the interiors to natural light with large windows that brought nature inside. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium. After starting his career as a painter in Belgium, Van de Velde turned to architecture and design after becoming enamored with the works of William Morris and John Ruskin of the Arts and Crafts Movement (1860-1910). May 6, 2016 - Henry Clemens van de Velde (1863 – 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect and interior designer. Henry van de Velde, in full Henry Clemens Van De Velde, (born April 3, 1863, Antwerp, Belg.—died Oct. 25, 1957, Zürich, Switz. He died on October 25, 1957, Oberägeri, Switzerland. Henry van de Velde, in full Henry Clemens Van De Velde, (born April 3, 1863, Antwerp, Belg.—died Oct. 25, 1957, Zürich, Switz. The resulting crisis of artistic meaning caused him to abandon his career as a painter around 1893/1894 and turn to architecture and applied art. The stunning Art Nouveau buildings he designed still exist in Germany’s Thuringer and Saxony region. ), Belgian architect and teacher who ranks with his compatriot Victor Horta as an originator of the Art Nouveau style, characterized by long sinuous lines derived from naturalistic forms. Influencé par la peinture Monet, de Renoir et van Gogh, Il est entré en 1889 au groupe d'avant-garde Les XX (Les vents) et peints sur les lignes du Néo-impressionnisme Français. Henry van de Velde Belgian The design of this chair goes back to van de Velde’s groundbreaking demonstration of his “new style,” which he presented to the public at Bloemenwerf, the home he designed and built for himself in 1895 in the Brussels suburb of Uccles. About his life. Despite official appointments in Belgium, van de Velde after 1918 made no further contributions to architecture or design. After this important creative period, Henry van de Velde left Weimar and worked as an architect in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In 1902 he went to Weimar as artistic adviser to the grand duke of Saxe-Weimar. Antwerpen 1863 - Zürich 1957 The Belgian architect and designer Henry van de Velde is a leading exponent of both "Jugendstil" and "New Objectivity". He is a celebrated architect. Born the son of an apothecary in Antwerp in 1863, Henry van de Velde studied painting at the … Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. A beautiful example of this is his house in Weimar, Hohe Papplin Haus, with its stunning sky jutting angles. In 1902 the Grand Duke of Weimar contracted Van de Velde to design two buildings for his School of Art and Applied Arts, now Bauhaus University. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-van-de-Velde, Goethe Institut - Biography of Henry van de Velde, Henry Van de Velde - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Henry van de Velde – Passion, Function, Beauty is a treasure trove of objets d’art you’d dream of having in your own home. This assignment was very controversial because of the foreign nationality of van de Velde. This practical principle also informs the present piece, which the artist modified in details as commissioned. A friend of the architect described the house as looking from the outside: small, solid and organic, like a plant growing out of the soil, and with its many angles it certainly does have something of the picturesque. He worked in Paris with Samuel Bing, the founder of the first gallery of Art Nouveau in Paris. There, influenced by the philosophy of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement, he reorganized the Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts-and-Crafts School) and the academy of fine art and thus laid the foundations for Walter Gropius’ amalgamation of the two bodies into the Bauhaus in 1919. He took particular care to arc the building to give the inside a cavernous effect. Henry van de Velde came to Weimar from Belgium in 1902 at the initiative of Harry Graf Kessler. During the time that Van de Velde was director of the school, 1902 to 1917, he designed several houses in Thuringer and Saxony. In 1901 Van de Velde was invited to Weimar as consultant to the craft industries of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar. The Schulenburg Mansion in Gera embodies nascent modernism in Europe. In many ways, Art Nouveau was an ineffectual movement; neither capable of making great changes in the artistic landscape nor capable of moving those that appreciated it. The press conference will be held at the Neues Museum Weimar in commemoration of the 150 th anniversary of the Belgian architect and designer Henry van de Velde. Van de Velde designed the furnishings to match the shape of the room. They collaborated on a number of projects together, including designing wallpapers and femal… Van de Velde and two other Belgian architects, Victor Horta and Paul Hankar were the founders of Art Nouveau, or, Jugendstil architecture as it is called in Germany. The building is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Designed by Henry van de Velde in 1904 when it was the School of Art and Applied Arts. But the scheme foundered on clashes between Kessler and Förster and outrage at raising support outside Germany. Van de Velde’s most vital contributions to modern design were made as a teacher in Germany, where his name became known through the exhibition of furnished interiors at Dresden in 1897. Updates? Fonds Henry van de Velde, ENSAV La Cambre. Henry van de Velde, in full Henry Clemens Van De Velde, (born April 3, 1863, Antwerp, Belg.—died Oct. 25, 1957, Zürich, Switz. ‘Henry van de Velde: the Artist as Designer’ by Richard Hollis (Occasional Papers, 268pp, £20) ‘Pivotal’ is an apt descriptor for Henry van de Velde (1863-1957), the prolific Belgian designer whose life spanned the decades of seismic change between Delacroix’s death and Ai Weiwei’s birth. This villa, which is named Bloemenwerf, meaning courtyard of flowers, was Henry Van de Velde’s first creation as an architect. Another Art Nouveau great Henry Van de Velde. The centrepiece is a long table, prepared for … Kessler, a museum director, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, sister of the philosopher, and Van de Velde, artist and architect, were part of the »New Weimar« movement, which pursued a vision of modern man as expressed in the medium of art. artist, architect and designer henry van de velde (1963-1957) was a pioneer of jugenstil (art nouveau) and co-founder of the german werkbund in 1907. he lived for many years in switzerland, and after his death the kunstgewerbemuseum zürich honoured him with an exhibition. ), Belgian architect and teacher who ranks with his compatriot Henry van de Velde is a belgian artist, architect and interior designer who is considered one of the founders of the Art Nouveau style. Henry van de Velde's numerous multi-purpose drawing-room, tea and occasional table models were designed to meet the needs of his clients as well as those of his own household. Influenced by his admiration for Rusking, Morris and Voysey, he redirected his efforts as a designer. https://www.architectural-review.com/.../henry-van-de-velde-1863-1957 Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar he could be considered as one of the main founders and representatives of Art Nouveau in Belgium. Born in Antwerpen, he started as a painter influenced by He built his first house for himself in Brussels("Bloemenwerf"). He was one of the first modern architects to exclusively favor the "form follows function" theory in architecture. The 2013 exhibition Henry van de Velde – Passion – Function – Beauty, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Henry van de Velde’s birth changed this perspective completely. Henry van de Velde - Architectuul. Refusing to bend to the process of historical patterns, which he thought were banal and hideous, he put his Art Nouveau mark on everything; buildings, furnishings, china, wallpapers, and even draperies. Henry Clemens Van de Velde was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Hendy van de Velde's house, Hohe Papplin Haus in Weimar. For information click here. He designed it in close collaboration with his wife, Maria Sèthe. In the late 19th century Flemish architect Henry van de Velde was the frontrunner for Art Nouveau architecture. In celebration of Henry van de Velde’s 150th birthday events and exhibits will be take place in Thuringer and Saxony throughout the year. House "Bloemenwerf" in Ukkel (1895) Kunstgewerbeschule Weimar (1907) Deutsche Werkbund Theatre in Köln (1914) Henry Clemens van de Velde ([ɑ̃ˈri vɑndəˈvɛldə]; 3 April 1863 – 25 October 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect and interior designer. It was from these that the Bauhaus style of architecture emerged. “Just as in the work of Victor Horta or Henry van de Velde, for example, form and content must align perfectly, and form is inspired by function. With the outbreak of World War I Van de Velde was forced to return to his native Belgium. Van de Velde Henry Clemens, known as Henry Van de Velde, was born in Belgium, in Antwerp, in 1863 and died in Switzerland in 1957. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Belgian architect,artist and designer Henry van de Velde is a leading exponent of both "Jugendstil" and "New Objectivity". Noted architect Henry van de Velde (1863-1957) designed gorgeous, modern buildings and interiors in his now famous Art Nouveau style. A valuable extract from his Memoirs (1891–1901) was published in the Architectural Review, 112:143–148 (September 1952). By designing furniture and interiors for the Paris art galleries of Samuel Bing in 1896, van de Velde was responsible for bringing the Art Nouveau style to Paris. The son of a wealthy chemist, he initially studied painting. The main building of Bauhaus University. L'art nouveau design was meant reflect nature like the extension of a flower from it's base and leaves. Henry van de Velde (1863–1957) is a pivotal figure in the history of modern design. Van de Velde, who wanted the house to be functional and rational, drew inspiration from the architecture of … © 2021 Dwell Life, Inc. All rights reserved. Omissions? His meeting with Maria Sèthe, his future wife, was instrumental in this change. Henry Van de Velde. They are now listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Architects, Architecture In 1913, the Deutscher Werkbund charges Henry van de Velde, architect, industrial designer and Belgian painter, construction of a theater for the 1914 Werkbund Exhibition in Cologne, Germany. Van de Velde designed this smaller building of Bauhaus University in 1905. Be the first to see our latest home tours, design news, and more. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar he could be considered as one of the main founders and representatives of Art Nouveau in Belgium. Henry van de Velde was born in Antwerp in 1863 and died near Zürich at the age of 94; he worked almost to the end of his days. Corrections? Henry Van De Velde was born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1863. Van De Veldes work was very organic in it's flow which reflects the artist that he was. Henry Clement van de Velde, après avoir assisté à la 1881 un 1884 l'académie Anvers et après 'expérience symboliste à Paris (1884-1885), a commencé ses activités en Bruxelles. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. “A feeling of restlessness and lack of satisfaction dominated us so generally around 1890,” wrote Henry van de Velde in his Kunstgewerbliche Laienpredigten (published in German in 1902). Images are courtesy of www.vandevelde2013.de. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. ), Belgian architect and teacher who ranks with his compatriot Victor Horta as an originator of the Art Nouveau style, characterized by long sinuous lines derived from naturalistic forms. It was he who recommended to the Grand Duke that Walter Gropius be appointed his successor as superintendent of the School of Art and Applied Arts. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). His fiancee is Maria Sèthe (m. 1894–1943). Van de Velde is the most international artist of the Art Nouveau movement and one of the major. Henry van de Velde found some refuge for his ideals in Arts & Crafts, but in accepting the value of mass production he was at odds with the fundamental beliefs of its founder. The precise location of an object in a space is important from both a functional and an aesthetic standpoint. Henry van de Velde was born on April 3, 1863 (age 157 years) in Belgium. Born the son of an apothecary in Antwerp in 1863, Henry van de Velde studied painting at the Antwerp Académie des Beaux-Arts from 1881 until 1884. Note the bowed out large windows, very Art Nouveau in design, that let in an abundance of natural light. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, he began his career as a painter before turning to the decorative arts and architecture in his 30s. He was one of the first modern architects to develop the theory "form follows function". biographie. Built between 1913 and 1915, it was designed by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde as a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art. 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