Victor Horta

Using modern materials of the time: iron, steel, and glass, he "employed the floral ornamentation of Art Nouveau as both a surface decoration and a constructive element" that consists of his famous whimsical lines, curvaceous forms, and relatively overly embellished designs.1 Cantilevered forms are created to generate lively, well-lit, large interiors that house the furniture, also designed by him, to keep a cohesive appearance. These are spaces that are not set on the ground, but convincingly look as though they could have naturally grown out of the ground. These are organic forms in nature, without a desired destination or direction, just naturally growing and letting nature guide their course. The period in Victor Horta's life dedicated to Art Nouveau is but deliberate or intentional, however in its chaos it has a sense of grace and fluid beauty. From the time he was born in Ghent on January 6, 1861, to the time he died at the ripe age of 86, on September 9, 1947, Victor Horta was an artist in every sense of the word. Horta was born to a working class family with Victor-Pierre Horta, a shoemaker, as his father and Henriette Coppieters as his mother. In Ghent he was determined to follow his early musical talent, but this premature dream was quickly crushed when he was "dismissed from the Ghent conservatory."2 Following this unforeseen disappointment, he quickly recovered and pursued his passion of the arts. Horta enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied textiles, drawing, and architecture for three years before going to Paris. It was Paris that awakened his creative talent and where Horta acquired great enthusiasm and a flair for architecture. Though he only intended to stay in Paris for a few weeks, he ended up staying for two years. He started working in Montmarte, for architect and decorator, Jules Debuysson. Many artists, innovative building designs, and literary figures influenced Horta. Among those who influenced him were the artists