Art Nouveau is an International style which was born in Brussels in 1893 with the construction of the Hôtel Tassel with an Organic style heavily inspired by Nature, Flora & Fauna Flourishing all over Europe.

Many Belgian Architects like Paul Hankar or Henry van de Velde took their Inspiration from the Richness and Luxuriance of Nature and from the writings of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and John Ruskin (among others). Their common dream was to make a contemporary style which breaks away from the Fastidious Imitation of the styles of the past.

Brussels, a Cradle of Modernity, offers many examples of Houses made as a Portrait for Architect’s Client. To enter one of them is to discover a New World more Organic and away from the Furry and Anxiety of the cities which are growing Endlessly. This movement is strongly linked with a Renaissance of the Crafts.

Craft and Design were one of the main concerns of Art Nouveau Artists who wanted to compete with the bad quality and ugliness of new Industrial Artefacts urban chaos that plagues Brussels. The desire of a beautiful house harmonizes with the dream of something ferique. After the dominant golden years from 1893-1902, Art Nouveau moved towards something more Geometric and became less attractive. Although it took new directions in different Influential cities like Vienna, Barcelona, Paris and Glasgow.

Victor Horta was born on the 6 of January, 1861. He was the son of a shoemaker Maître Cordonnier and his interest for Craftsmanship goes back to the time he was a pupil of Alphonse Balat, who constructed the Royal Greenhouse of Laeken. He studied Architecture in Gent and Brussel with an Internship in Paris.

Founding Father of Art Nouveau, an Engineer, a Scientist and a Genius of his time in Building this Historical City with Avant-Garde Environment of Impressionist & Symbolist Artists, Liberal Socialites and Free-spirited Architects Influenced Horta’s style (Free Masonry). He built Brussels with his Genius vision of bringing all the elements from Nature into our homes and everyday lifestyle, bringing outside into the inside with Nature, Light and Depth.

Horta’s works were most Prominent  in his time with over forty monuments. Sadly only a handful are left today.

Victor Horta’s most Renowned works are part of UNESCO National Heritage: Hôtel Solvay, Maison Horta, Hôtel Van Eetvelde and Hôtel Tassel.

His other important works include

• Central Station in Brussels
• Maison du Peuple (which was completely demolished)
• Hospital Brugmann
• Bozar

Maurice Frison was born on 8 March 1863 in Quevaucamps, a small village in the south of Belgium. He studied law in Brussels, just like his father.

Most of the Information on Frison has been obtained from the Horta memoirs and from the OCMW (Social Services) archive.

Horta was a student of Alphons Balat and it was this collaboration with Balat that provided for the meeting of Frison and Horta. Balat asked Horta to design a pavilion in collaboration with the sculptor Jef Lambeaux. The execution, however, was not easy as Lambeaux changed the design very frequently, causing a terrible delay, for which Horta was held responsible. The pavilion was completed in 1899 but the collaboration between Lambeaux and Horta resulted in a law suit in which Maurice Frison defended the architect. He wrote in his memoir; “The Lambeaux case has led to the acquaintance and the beginning of friendship.” Maurice Frison was an outstanding customer, protector, lawyer and a close friend of Victor Horta for over 45 years.

Maurice Frison was a Socialist Lawyer. He was a part of the building blocks of the social and civil reforms of Belgium. He was socially engaged, was a member of the General Council of Godshouses (the current ocmw), where he sat on various committees, including the commission for social housing, the committee for national hygiene and the committee for agricultural schools. In 1925 Frison got the Grootkruis; legion of honor in the order of King Leopold II, which is the highest form of honor. In addition to being the lawyer of the court, Frison was also ambassador in France. During the time, council members and ambassadors generally belonged to the elite. Legal profession was not practiced by the “ordinary” citizen in the nineteenth century.

Presumably Frison was also a freemason who brought Victor Horta in his inner circle of freemasonry and Converted him as a free mason at the age of 26 got him projects like Hospital Brugmann, Solvay, Max Hallet. Maurice Frison was thus responsible for getting Horta some of the very important projects in the beginning of his career.

Thanks to Frison, Horta became a member of Freemasonry.

Frison recommended Horta to design the Volkshuis and also recommended him to the council to design the Brugman hospital in 1906.

The council wanted to organize a competition to an architect to choose design the hospital. Frison’s reaction was: “that extreme caution is required in the choice of architects”. He also reminded the council of “the problems caused by competitions” Frison proposed “to appoint a single architect in accordance with M.Hallet.” Frison and Hallet convinced the council in favour of Horta. This did not go without a struggle, but on June 1, 1906 the choice fell on Victor Horta.

Frison got married in Paris on January 23, 1894, the same year Frison asked Horta to design a house and an office. Horta was enthusiastic about his new assignment. He wrote: “Frison is the first customer who, without me knowing, except by Lambeaux, was attracted by my work.”