Léon de Smet

'In the valley of the Lys for a time, before Expressionism took over, artists like Gustave de Smet, Frits van den Berghe and Constant Permecke practised Luminism for some years and Leon de Smet in particular gave the genre a very individual charm' (R. Hoozee, Impressionism to Symbolism, the Belgian Avant-Garde 1880-1900, (exhibition catalogue), London, 1994, p. 38).

The present work is a classic example of luministe painting, in which light plays the central role. The depiction of the glass dome to the right of the image is a stunning display of skill. Of particular interest is the subject to the top left of the work, here De Smet acknowledges the presence of the avant-garde and yet the abstract image cannot compete with the simplest of subjects: a vase of flowers. Displaying the various influences upon the Luministes, de Smet endows this work with an emphatic flatness, rhythm and organic forms, evoking the context of Art Nouveau and Japanese printmaking.

In this ambitious yet intimate composition, de Smet has, with true mastery and skill, assembled a group of contrasting inanimate objects, and created a stunning still life, bursting with vibrancy, charm and elegance. ‘In a flash’, as Paul Hasaerts has noted, ‘he gave his home the jovial aspect of a rustic lodging: printed fabrics, vibrant furniture, popular prints, shells, folkloric sculptures and bunches of flowers…’ (P. Hasaerts, Laethem-Saint-Martin, Brussels, 1966, p. 187).