Valerius de Saedeleer

Belgian painter. He learnt the art of weaving from his father and studied at academies in Aalst and Ghent and in the studio of Franz Courtens. After a turbulent period in Ghent, where he was active in anarchist circles, in 1898 he settled in Sint Martens Latem. There he had close ties with like-minded artists. He painted panoramic views of the flat landscape of the Leie in late autumn, winter and early spring. Small houses, hedges and finely-drawn branches stand out against the extensive landscape and vast skies. The contrast between sharply-drawn detail and panoramic views resembled the landscape vision of Pieter Bruegel. He achieved a timeless, unreal atmosphere by applying thin, smooth brushstrokes of colour with a dominance of white, green or grey.