Artus Van Briggle was born in Felicity, Ohio on March 21, 1869. He moved to Cincinnati in 1886, and he apprenticed at Avon Pottery. He Joined Rookwood Pottery in 1887. He was sent to Paris to Study for 3 years at the Ecole de Beaux Arts and the Julian Academy. He began decorating pottery at Rookwood in 1896, but left in 1901 for Colorado Springs due to poor health. It was there that he created his own pottery company, Van Briggle Pottery. Artus's success was short lived, for he died on July 4, 1904 at the age of 35. His career was short, and his works are considered rare. At Rookwood, most of his work was highly detailed portrait work in Standard Glaze, while his own work was much more organic in nature. Collector interest in his work is extremely high, and his pieces are highly prized.