The Life and Training of Victor Prouvé Born in Nancy on 13 August 1858, Victor Prouvé grew up in a city that would become a center for the Art Nouveau movement. His hands learned the precision of a painter, a sculptor, and an engraver through the guidance of several distinct hands. He studied under Louis-Théodore Devilly and Alexandre Cabanel, absorbing the formal foundations of French art. Later, his training was shaped by Émile Gallé, a connection that would tie his life closely to the École de Nancy. His early years were spent absorbing the textures and forms that define his varied outpu…