- Art & Design
The Royal Academy of Arts is currently hosting an important and impressive exhibition on Léon Spilliaert. In the most recent edition of our magazine, you can read about his work and life, but if you’re interested in an even deeper dive the book accompanying the exhibition is a beautiful coffee table book.
For the first time, the United Kingdom has organised a large-scale monographic exhibition of the work of the Belgian artist Léon Spilliaert (1881-1946). It runs until 25 May and takes place at the Royal Academy of Arts in the heart of London. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Royal Academy of Arts, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris – where many of the same works will be on display this summer from 15 June to 13 September – and Dr Anne Adriaens-Pannier, honorary head of department at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels and artistic director of the Spilliaert House in Ostend. With loans from public and private collections from Belgium, France, Great Britain and the United States, the exhibition offers a fascinating insight into the life and work of the great master who is an integral part of Belgian art history in the 20th century
Can't make it to the expo or already did and want to reminisce about it? Then be sure to get this beautiful book.
"Averse to his own zeitgeist, he did not opt for traditional painting but for rendering in ink and pencil in a bleak colour palette of themes and compositions that had hitherto received little attention in the art world,” tells Dr. Adriaens-Pannier. As an autodidact, Spilliaert searched for his own path in all areas, ensuring that his oeuvre cannot be compared to that of others. However, for same reason, it took quite a long time before the artist could count on any success. Even now, many years after his death, there’s still room for his level of fame and the recognition of this work to grow. 
Can't make it to the expo or want to enjoy what you saw at home? We recommend this book. With more than a hundred works highlighted and a preface written by our own Luc Tuymans, you will be completely immersed in the world of Léon Spilliaert.
Going to the store might not be an option these days, but fortunately you can purchase the book online as well. 
Uitgegeven door: Mercatorfonds/Royal Academy