Valerius de Saedeleer

He was one of the main figures in the so-called first School of Latem which in the first decade of the 20th century introduced modernist trends in Belgian painting and sculpture.

[3] Valerius de Saedeleer was born in Aalst, Belgium, as the son of a small businessman who operated a soda and soap making factory.

Without his parents' knowledge he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, where he met Théo van Rysselberghe and George Minne.

[2][4] Unhappy with the academic teaching at the Ghent Academy, he moved to Brussels where he studied for four years with the impressionist landscape painter Franz Courtens.

In his early work, the artist remained indebted to his teacher Courtens and was influenced by Emile Claus.

[2] In 1892 the couple lived in Afsnee, near Ghent, where de Saedeleer met Albijn Van den Abeele.

[4] Albijn Van den Abeele was the town clerk of Sint-Marten-Latem (often referred to by its shorter form 'Latem') and an amateur painter.

Here he reconnected with his friend George Minne and met the young student and aspiring poet Karel van de Woestijne.

The first School of Latem comprised mainly artists who had moved to the countryside in search of a close contact with the soil, to discover a primitive world untainted by modern civilization.

[3] The painters moved away from the then popular luminism of Emile Claus and his followers and turned towards a more sombre, sober palet, with influences of late Medieval Flemish painting.

These artists, the most notable of whom included Constant Permeke, Albert Servaes and Gustave de Smet, are referred to as the second School of Latem.

The next year he visited the Exposition des primitifs flamands à Bruges, which left a lasting impression and influence on his work.

In these works the artist was clearly engaged in a symbolistic search for the soul of the landscape, likely under the influence of his conversion to Christianity.

Gustave van de Woestijne and George Minne and their families also resided in Wales during the war.

The family de Saedeleer and other Belgian artists were brought to Wales by David, Gwendoline and Margaret Davies.

He also exhibited his paintings of local views in the university's Alexandra Hall and was able to earn a living from his art.