Need to Know: Léon Spilliaert

I discovered turn-of-the-century Belgian artist Léon Spilliaert, at the Royal Academy, and am so pleased that I went to his exhibit (23 February to 25 May 2020). What a captivating artist. His nocturnal works are mystical, and full of pattern and nuance.

Léon Spilliaert, Self-portrait, 3 November, 1908 via The Royal Academy.

Spilliaert’s geometric interpretations of the sea are mesmerising. While sometimes he forms waves from elongated lines, almost like stitching, sometimes he creates these organic almost amoeba-like, or seaweed-like forms. Fascinating.

Léon Spilliaert, Woman at the Shoreline (1910) via The Royal Academy.

His seaside works really resonate with me - those nuances of blacks and greys, the endless depths of the North Sea, the reflections along the wet path, and the ongoing heavy skies, are very familiar, and similar to the views from the Swedish west coast.

Léon Spilliaert, Dike at night. Reflected lights (1908) via The Royal Academy.

I particularly love the otherworldliness he attributed to nocturnal scenes. Often, he painted in the quiet hours, indoors in his glass-roof room, or outdoors along the coastline, as an insomniac. The glow pulls you in, and scenes that during the daytime would feel quite normal, take on a whole other feeling.

Léon Spilliaert,Young Woman on a Stool (1909) via The Royal Academy.

The interiors in his paintings are particularly of interest to me (no surprise!). Again, these rooms seem to portray a curious parallel nocturnal world. Anybody else spot the Thonet chair? And, just addressing the particular interior of the painting Self-portrait (1907) below, there are so many beautiful and intriguing details. The sconce is lovely and elegant. The placement of the painting, literally on the top edge of the mirror is curious and feels very natural. The coat rack placed over the mirror feels very foreign to contemporary interiors, and yet somehow directly creates a bistro-like feel. And, the strict geometric frames of the painting and mirror, juxtaposed against the organic frames of the reflected mirror (within the mirror) and large painting (?) feels right. (And, a hello to Monsieur Spilliaert, who sits, quite humbly, centre-stage)

Léon Spilliaert, Self-portrait (1907) via The Royal Academy.

Learn a bit more about the Belgian painter in this quick into video: