Flemish Expressionism, also referred to as Belgian Expressionism, was one of the dominant art styles in Flanders during the interbellum. Influenced by artists like James Ensor and the early works of Vincent van Gogh, it was a distinct contemporary of German Expressionism.[1] Contrary to the more rebellious and erotic nature of many German Expressionist works, the Flemish art of the School of Latem was more oriented towards the farming life, and was expressed in earthy colours and vigorous brushwork.[1] It was also in general more oriented towards France and Brussels than to Germany, and incorporated elements of Fauvism and Cubism, for example the interest in "primitive" art, of both the ethnic and folk traditions.[2] Flemish Expressionists like Spilliaert were more influenced by Ensor and Symbolism, or like Wouters were closer to the vibrant colours used by the Fauvists. The main proponents were Gust De Smet, Constant Permeke and Frits Van den Berghe.[3]
The movement originated with the painter Albert Servaes, an artist associated with the first artist colony at Sint-Martens-Latem, als referred to as the first Latem School. From 1905 Servaes' art gradually moved away from the impressionism and luminism of the previous generation of Flemish artists towards a darker palette and a mystical tension.[4][5] From 1911 on, his influence became visible in the work of Constant Permeke, who is usually considered the foremost master of the movement.[6] It was centred around an art colony in Sint-Martens-Latem, an idyllic village on the banks of the river Lys in East Flanders, near Ghent. Permeke had studied art in Ghent, together with Gustave de Smet and Frits Van den Berghe.
Before the First World War, emerging Belgian Expressionists such as Frits Van den Berghe, Gustave De Smet and Constant Permeke were inspired by Fauvism and to some extent by Cubism, emulating the bright Impressionist approach of Émile Claus and Théo van Rysselberghe. Rik Wouters in particular was attracted by the Fauvists but he died in 1916 after suffering from a serious illness.[7]
During World War I, most painters from Sint-Martens-Latem fled Belgium: Gustaaf Van de Woestijne, Léon de Smet and others lived in London, where they continued working in a late Impressionistic style. Permeke also lived in England but already painted in a monumental, dark expressionism. Gustave De Smet and Frits Van den Berghe lived in the Netherlands, where in about 1916 they changed their style from a melancholy Impressionism to the new Expressionism, influenced by Dutch painters like Jan Sluyters, the German Heinrich Campendonk, and the French cubist Henri Le Fauconnier who also lived in the Netherlands during the war.[4] This version of Flemish Expressionism, influenced by constructivism, futurism and cubism, continued after the war in the short-lived art colony in Blaricum, where van den Berghe and De Smet joined Jozef Cantré.[4]
After the war, most artists went to live in and around Sint-Martens-Latem, establishing what has been called the second school of Latem.
In the 1920s, while Permeke, De Smet and Van den Berghe painted in Ghent, at the European level it was Brussels which became closely associated with the evolving Flemish Expressionist scene. By 1930, Van den Berghe had been attracted by Surrealism while Realism had influenced the work of De Smet. On the other hand, Edgard Tytgat developed his Expressionist style rather later than the others. Concentrating on story telling, he presented a somewhat satirical view of mankind, especially in his paintings of men and women.[7]
Flemish Expressionism has been called "Belgium's most important contribution to modern art".[8]
Artists
James Ensor (1860-1949) (more a precursor and influence than a real member of the movement)[1]
Sint-Martens-Latem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Deurle and Sint-Martens-Latem proper. In 2021, Sint-Martens-Latem had a total population of 8,285. The total area is 14.34 km2.
Constant Permeke was a Belgian painter and sculptor who is considered the leading figure of Flemish Expressionism.
Gustave Van de Woestijne was a Belgian expressionist painter.
Gustave Franciscus De Smet was a Belgian painter. Together with Constant Permeke and Frits Van den Berghe, he was one of the founders of Flemish Expressionism. His younger brother, Léon De Smet, also became a painter.
Frits Van den Berghe was a Belgian expressionist and surrealist painter and illustrator.
Deurle is part of the municipality of Sint-Martens-Latem located in the Flemish part of Belgium. Deurle is a picturesque small village near the borders of the river Lys and was added to Sint-Martens-Latem in 1977. Many well-known Flemish artists have lived in this village nested near a forest. Today, it is one of the best residential areas around Gent (Ghent), also counting numerous restaurants and bistros.
Carolus Petrus Eduardus Maria "Karel" van de Woestijne was a Flemish writer and brother of the painter Gustave van de Woestijne. He went to highschool at the Koninklijk Athenaeum at the Ottogracht in Ghent. He also studied Germanic philology at the University of Ghent, where he came into contact with French symbolism. He lived at Sint-Martens-Latem from April 1900 up to January 1904, and from April 1905 up to November 1906. Here he wrote Laetemsche brieven over de lente, for his friend Adolf Herckenrath (1901). In 1907 he moved to Brussels, and in 1915 he moved to Pamel, where he wrote De leemen torens together with Herman Teirlinck.
The Museum of Fine Arts an art museum in Ghent, Belgium, is situated at the East side of the Citadelpark.
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent is an art school that is one of the oldest art schools in Belgium. It is a part of the Hogeschool Gent, a Belgium University college.
Albert Servaes was a Belgian expressionist painter. He was associate with but not a member of the first Latem School of painting which focused on Mystical Realism. Servaes went in another artistic direction and became a founder of Belgian expressionism. He is known for his religious works, typically showing the suffering of Jesus Christ, which stirred a conflict within the Catholic Church. He also gained fame for his expressionist landscapes. After fleeing Belgium after World War II to escape retribution for collaborating with the German occupiers during the war, he lived in Switzerland and became a Swiss citizen.
Marcel Caron (1890–1961) was a Belgian painter born in Enghien.
Valerius de Saedeleer or Valerius De Saedeleer was a Belgian landscape painter, whose works are informed by a Symbolist and mystic-religious sensitivity and the traditions of 16th-century Flemish landscape painting. He was one of the main figures in the so-called first School of Latem which in the first decade of the 20th century introduced modernist trends in Belgian painting and sculpture.
Jean-Joseph Delvin was a Belgian painter who specialized in scenes with animals.
Museum van Deinze en de Leiestreek, also known as mudel, is a museum of fine arts and folklore located in the city of Deinze, Belgium. The permanent exhibition displays exclusively artworks produced by artists who worked or lived in the region from about 1879 to today as well as folkloristic objects.
Jules De Bruycker was a Belgian graphic artist, etcher, painter and draughtsman. He is considered one of the foremost Belgian graphic artists after James Ensor and achieved a high level of technical virtuosity. He is best known for his scenes of his home town Ghent, architectural views of cathedrals, war prints and book illustrations.
Jozef Cantré was a Belgian sculptor and illustrator. He was one of the main artists in the development of the movement of Flemish Expressionism.
The Belfius Art Collection is a collection of Belgian art owned by the Belfius Bank.
Antoine "Anto" Carte was a Belgian painter.
Paul-Gustave van Hecke was a Belgian journalist, author, art collector and promoter, couturier, and organizer of film festivals. He was a patron to Frits Van den Berghe, Gustave De Smet and René Magritte, among others.
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