Hamesse, Paul

(1877-1956)

   Born in Brussels on 7 April 1877, Paul Hamesse was the son of painter Adolphe Hamesse (1849-1925). He studied architecture at the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts and worked in the studios of Paul Hankar. However, his interests diverged toward interior design, the field in which he excelled and for which he employed a variety of ornamental components, which he combined in art nouveau assemblages. His commissions included the Cohn-Donnay house (1904) and the Ameke department store (1905). Hamesse worked on the decorative design of a number of cinemas, including the Pathé-Palace (1913, now demolished) and the Agora (1920-1921). During the 1920s he designed shop windows in Brussels and villas in the suburbs in the art deco style. Hamesse worked in collaboration with his brothers Georges (b. 1874) and Léon (b. 1883), both painters. He died in Brussels on 22 February 1956.