Léon De Smet
(1881 - 1966)
Interior of the artist's house
Ca. 1940-45
Oil on canvas
81 x 100 cm (31 ⁷/₈ x 39 ³/₈ inches)
Signed lower right: LEON DE SMET
Oil on canvas
81 x 100 cm (31 ⁷/₈ x 39 ³/₈ inches)
Signed lower right: LEON DE SMET
This rich and layered interior image of Léon De Smet is more than a simple representation of his home in Deurle. It is a visual summary of his life, work, circle of friends and preferences as an artist.
The composition opens up as a series of vistas: from the foreground to the rooms behind, in an almost theatrical mise-en-scène of everyday life. The different rooms, connected by open doors, create a sense of intimacy, seclusion and perspective.
Central in the foreground is the red tripod table with a vase of flowers; a floral still life within the painting itself, painted with the same attention to light and color as in his autonomous still lifes. To the right on the sideboard we find a rich collection of porcelain, miniature paintings and shells. These motifs regularly appear in his work with which he elevated domesticity and refinement to the subject.
On the left wall hangs a drawing of a seated nude, a work by Léon De Smet himself. It refers to his enduring interest in the human figure and the academic tradition in which he began his career.
Above the table is an icon of Christ on the cross, a religious motif that evokes memories of the sacred art of his youth and his acquaintance with the tradition of the first group of artists in Sint-Martens-Latem.
In the background we recognize the bedroom with green furniture, painted by the artist himself. Léon De Smet made a habit of coloring his own interior with painted furniture, creatively dissolving the boundaries between art and everyday life.
The colors are warm and gently modular: deep, saturated reds, green and red accents in the furniture, warm wood tones and the fragile white of the walls. All built up in short, vibrant touches that allude to his luminist-impressionist style, but also attest to a certain intimate calm.
The painting above the dresser
A special element in this composition is the still life above the dresser, the work of his brother Gustave De Smet (Still Life with Flowers and Fruit, 1915). In this powerful, expressionist-laden work, Léon himself added some flowers, making this painting a unique fraternal collaboration; a rare fusion of their different styles and sensibilities. This painting also figured prominently in interior views of Léon himself.
The artist's house as a mirror of Léon De Smet
Léon De Smet bought the house in Deurle in the 1920s after his return from England. In a 1961 interview, he speaks candidly about his love for this house: “out of the world and therefore cozy” and how he retreated there in his studio in winter. His home, hidden in the greenery, became not only his refuge, but also a canvas on which he gathered his life, memories and art.
London and the international career
During World War I, Léon stayed in London, where he not only made a name for himself as a portrait painter, but also as a confidant of such important writers as John Galsworthy, George Bernard Shaw and Joseph Conrad. Although he said he did not fundamentally change in style, this period brought him a firmer use of color, more vigorous touch and international recognition.
His work was appreciated there for its sophistication and intimacy. For example, he was praised for his portrait of Shaw, which critics considered the writer's best ever. Yet De Smet eventually returned to his Leie region: “I still don't know why” where he regained his place in the Latem tradition and his deep connection with the landscape.
Artistry as an attitude to life
De Smet was an independent painter, averse to movements or -isms. His work oscillated between luminism, impressionism and a brief flirtation with expressionism. But above all he remained true to himself, driven by an “enduring steady hand” and an indomitable zest for life.
The anecdotes from his life - the practical jokes with his brother Gustaaf and close friend Frits Van den Berghe, his meetings with Jean Cocteau and Gérard Philippe, his portraits of his lovers - breathe the same lightness and joie de vivre as this interior image.
This painting is not just an interior. It is a painterly autobiography in which Léon De Smet weaves together his love of everyday life, his friendships, his family ties and his taste in art. A still life, a portrait, an homage to his brother, an insight into his studio, his home and his life, all captured in one image. The work is thus a powerful testimony to De Smet's independent artistry: “Painting is expressing what you feel, and doing it the way you want to do it - spontaneously, enthusiastically and with passion.”
The composition opens up as a series of vistas: from the foreground to the rooms behind, in an almost theatrical mise-en-scène of everyday life. The different rooms, connected by open doors, create a sense of intimacy, seclusion and perspective.
Central in the foreground is the red tripod table with a vase of flowers; a floral still life within the painting itself, painted with the same attention to light and color as in his autonomous still lifes. To the right on the sideboard we find a rich collection of porcelain, miniature paintings and shells. These motifs regularly appear in his work with which he elevated domesticity and refinement to the subject.
On the left wall hangs a drawing of a seated nude, a work by Léon De Smet himself. It refers to his enduring interest in the human figure and the academic tradition in which he began his career.
Above the table is an icon of Christ on the cross, a religious motif that evokes memories of the sacred art of his youth and his acquaintance with the tradition of the first group of artists in Sint-Martens-Latem.
In the background we recognize the bedroom with green furniture, painted by the artist himself. Léon De Smet made a habit of coloring his own interior with painted furniture, creatively dissolving the boundaries between art and everyday life.
The colors are warm and gently modular: deep, saturated reds, green and red accents in the furniture, warm wood tones and the fragile white of the walls. All built up in short, vibrant touches that allude to his luminist-impressionist style, but also attest to a certain intimate calm.
The painting above the dresser
A special element in this composition is the still life above the dresser, the work of his brother Gustave De Smet (Still Life with Flowers and Fruit, 1915). In this powerful, expressionist-laden work, Léon himself added some flowers, making this painting a unique fraternal collaboration; a rare fusion of their different styles and sensibilities. This painting also figured prominently in interior views of Léon himself.
The artist's house as a mirror of Léon De Smet
Léon De Smet bought the house in Deurle in the 1920s after his return from England. In a 1961 interview, he speaks candidly about his love for this house: “out of the world and therefore cozy” and how he retreated there in his studio in winter. His home, hidden in the greenery, became not only his refuge, but also a canvas on which he gathered his life, memories and art.
London and the international career
During World War I, Léon stayed in London, where he not only made a name for himself as a portrait painter, but also as a confidant of such important writers as John Galsworthy, George Bernard Shaw and Joseph Conrad. Although he said he did not fundamentally change in style, this period brought him a firmer use of color, more vigorous touch and international recognition.
His work was appreciated there for its sophistication and intimacy. For example, he was praised for his portrait of Shaw, which critics considered the writer's best ever. Yet De Smet eventually returned to his Leie region: “I still don't know why” where he regained his place in the Latem tradition and his deep connection with the landscape.
Artistry as an attitude to life
De Smet was an independent painter, averse to movements or -isms. His work oscillated between luminism, impressionism and a brief flirtation with expressionism. But above all he remained true to himself, driven by an “enduring steady hand” and an indomitable zest for life.
The anecdotes from his life - the practical jokes with his brother Gustaaf and close friend Frits Van den Berghe, his meetings with Jean Cocteau and Gérard Philippe, his portraits of his lovers - breathe the same lightness and joie de vivre as this interior image.
This painting is not just an interior. It is a painterly autobiography in which Léon De Smet weaves together his love of everyday life, his friendships, his family ties and his taste in art. A still life, a portrait, an homage to his brother, an insight into his studio, his home and his life, all captured in one image. The work is thus a powerful testimony to De Smet's independent artistry: “Painting is expressing what you feel, and doing it the way you want to do it - spontaneously, enthusiastically and with passion.”
- Boyens, P. & H. Bosschaert, Léon De Smet (Tielt-SML: Lannoo-Art Book Company, 1994).
- De Smet, J., Sint-Martens-Latem en de kunst aan de Leie van 1870-1970 (Tielt: Lannoo, 2000).
- D'Haese, J., Retrospectieve Leon De Smet 1881-1966 (Deurle: Museum Leon De Smet/ Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens), no. 23 (vgl.).
- Van den Abeele, R. & R. De Booser, Leon De Smet 1881-1981 (Sint-Martens-Latem/Deurle: Artiestenzolder van het gemeentehuis/Museum Leon De Smet, 1981).
- De Smet, J., Sint-Martens-Latem en de kunst aan de Leie van 1870-1970 (Tielt: Lannoo, 2000).
- D'Haese, J., Retrospectieve Leon De Smet 1881-1966 (Deurle: Museum Leon De Smet/ Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens), no. 23 (vgl.).
- Van den Abeele, R. & R. De Booser, Leon De Smet 1881-1981 (Sint-Martens-Latem/Deurle: Artiestenzolder van het gemeentehuis/Museum Leon De Smet, 1981).
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Léon De Smet
(1881 - 1966)
Interior of the artist's house
