Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, a portrait by Berthon once in the
collection of the late actress Elizabeth TaylorPaul Émile Berthon was a French artist who produced primarily posters and
lithographs. He worked in the style of Art Nouveau, much like his
contemporaries Mucha, Grasset, and Privat-Livemont. Berthon studied as a
painter in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, a village on the Mediterranean, before
moving to Paris where he studied with Luc-Olivier Merson, a French academic
painter and illustrator also known for his postage stamp and currency designs.
The influence of Berthon’s study of the decorative arts is obvious in his print
making, which incorporates strong lines and natural details, such as flowers and
vines.