Leon Spilliaert

One of the most talented symbolic artists of Belgium, an illustrator and graphic artist.

The artist was born into the family of a perfumer and owner of a hairdressing salon. As a child, Leon was very quiet and, at the same time, a creative person, fond of poetry, prose and painting. He painted, wrote poetry and prose.

Leon Spiellart left a bright mark on the history of European painting. He participated in the Salon of Independence in 1911 in Brussels, which was the largest event in the field of art, and together with Ensor and Permke exhibited his paintings at the gallery Sélection, where avant-garde works of Belgium were presented. In the heyday of Expressionism, his self-sufficient and bold art did not find a large number of fans, and was little known outside his homeland. Nevertheless, it strongly influenced the development of several artistic trends of the future. In our time, the interest in the works of Leon Spiellart was revived, his works were appreciated by art lovers and approved by art critics.

Key ideas:

– In the wild whirlpool of the artistic life of Belgium of the early twentieth century, the work of Leon Spiellart stands alone. His somewhat gloomy and melancholic paintings have all the signs of classical Symbolism, although in them there are no mythological and religious themes inherent in this art movement.

– During his long creative life, the artist created a large number of urban landscapes, self-portraits and heat scenes filled with deep meaning and mysterious symbols. Spilliaert chose unusual themes for his paintings, which he created due to his uneasy character and highly developed imagination. He was interested in subjects related to life and death, the mysteries of the human soul and the mystical charm of the night.
– In the artist’s painting, dark or contrasting black and white tones predominate, many paintings depict the night time. The lines in them are clearly outlined, and the silhouettes are simplified and even grotesque. His still lifes are simple in the composition and are sustained in a strict color scheme. In the later period of his work, Spilliaert increasingly preferred landscape painting, mainly depicting trees.

– A special place in the legacy of Spiellart is occupied by his self-portraits, created mostly in 1906-1908. The characteristic features of these creations are mystery, an atmosphere of anxiety and even fear. They have an unusual composition based on mirrors in the room and numerous reflections in them. Self-portraits are created at night, in the light of the moon or a lam