Louis Justin Laurent Icart was born in 1888 in Toulouse, France, the son of a banker. He was nicknamed Helli from birth by his family and friends. He attended the L'ecole de Superieure de Commerce de Toulouse to pursue a career in banking like his father. He soon discovered that he preferred the arts to business, acting in school plays to start with. He moved to Paris in 1907 and began drawing and
...see more » painting etchings, for which he is widely known.
Icart became recognized for his fashion designs almost immediately, during a time when fashion was undergoing a huge transition from the fussiness of the 19th century to the clingy lines of the early 1900s. After serving in World War I, Icart made aquatints and drypoints of drawings he had made during the war, that were extremely popular both in Europe and America. Though rare today, these prints would be very valuable.
He became symbolic of the Art Deco era, his paintings characteristically of glamorous women with his wife, Fanny, the inspiration and model for much of his work. The Icart Girl became the theme for the era, capturing the styles of the time in settings that ranged from tame to risqué. Icart was known for his provocative, yet tasteful and charming women in his etchings. During the 1930s his work included poetry and after World War II, his art was rediscovered and became popular all over again.
Icart died quietly in his sleep on December 20, 1950 in Montmartre, France. His art can be found in museums, galleries, private and public collections and retailers around the world.« see less
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