Portret van Henri Vandeputte 1921

Léon Spilliaert painted this portrait of Henri Vandeputte using oil on canvas. It's important to remember that even the most traditional of materials are made through complex industrial processes. Think about it: canvases are woven in mills, stretched and primed, and oil paints are the product of chemical treatments of pigments and oils. These materials reflect the intense production and consumption of the modern era. The paint has been applied in layers of color, blended to capture the light and shadow on Vandeputte’s face and suit. The artist’s skill is evident in the smooth handling of the brush, the subtle modulations of tone. But even this ‘high art’ technique has parallels in commercial art. Considering the materials, making, and social context in which a work like this was created allows us to question the traditional hierarchy between fine art and other forms of creative expression, and to appreciate the full complexity of Spilliaert’s achievement.