The Nijmegen painter, decorator and graphic artist Henri Leeuw was born into an artistic family. His father was the sculptor Henri Leeuw sr, his brother Oscar Leeuw was an architect. Henri attended the Roermond Teekenschool and then worked in Nijmegen as a drawing teacher. He became known for his paintings and watercolours and also worked closely with brother Oscar (architect) and Henri sr (sculpture) when decorating luxury villas, shops and public buildings in and around Nijmegen. These came about as a 'Gesamtkunstwerk' of painting, architecture, blacksmithing and stained-glass art, such as the Jachtslot Mookerheide and the Concertgebouw in Nijmegen (1914).