Émile Adolphe Gustave Verhaeren was a Belgian poet and art critic who wrote in French. He was born on May 21, 1855, and died on November 27, 1916. He helped create the Symbolism movement in art and literature. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature six times.

Early life

Émile Verhaeren was born into a middle-class family that spoke French in Sint-Amands, a small village in the countryside of Belgium’s Province of Antwerp. He also learned to speak the local Dutch dialect. At the age of eleven, he was sent to a strict school in Ghent that was run by a religious group called the Jesuits. This school was called the Jesuit College of Sainte Barbe, and there he became friends with Georges Rodenbach. Later, he studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven, which was then French-speaking. While there, he wrote his first literary works for a student newspaper called La Semaine (The Week), which he edited with the opera singer Ernest van Dyck. The newspaper was banned by the authorities, as was its later version, Le Type, where his classmates included Max Waller, Iwan Gilkin, and Albert Giraud. These friends later worked with him on a magazine called La Jeune Belgique (Young Belgium), which promoted new artistic ideas.

After earning his law degree, Verhaeren trained from 1881 to 1884 under Edmond Picard, a well-known criminal lawyer and important figure in Brussels’ art community. During this time, he met many young writers and artists who were part of a period of creative change. He only participated in two court cases before choosing to focus his life on writing poetry and literature.

Art criticism

He quickly became the leader of an artistic revival at the start of the 20th century. He was fascinated by the work of painters in the group "Les XX" and wrote many articles in La Jeune Belgique and L'Art Moderne, offering bold opinions about art and literature in Brussels. He became a strong supporter of impressionist painters and introduced talented young artists like James Ensor and Fernand Khnopff to the public.

Because of these articles, he became a lifelong friend of the Belgian Neo-impressionist painter Théo van Rysselberghe, leading to many letters between them. In one letter, Maria van Rysselberghe described him as a one-of-a-kind person, full of energy and determination. He ignored rules that most people followed and often surprised or impressed others with his honest and direct way of speaking.

Literature

He was one of the most productive poets of his time. His first collection of poems, Les Flamandes, was published in 1883. Inspired by the paintings of Jacob Jordaens, David Teniers, and Jan Steen, Verhaeren described his country and the Flemish people in a direct and often bold, realistic way. His work was quickly accepted by modern art groups but caused strong disagreement among Catholic groups. His next book, Les Moines (1886), did not achieve the success he hoped for. This, along with his health issues, led to a difficult period in his life. During this time, he published Les Soirs (1888), Les Débâcles (1888), and Les Flambeaux noirs (1891), all with Edmond Deman, who became his regular publisher.

On August 24, 1891, he married Marthe Massin, a skilled artist from Liège. His new happiness inspired three poetry books: Les Heures Claires (1896), Les Heures d'Après-midi (1905), and Les Heures du Soir (1911). His later poems include Les Rythmes souverains (1910), Les Villes à pignons (1910), Les Plaines (1911), and Les Blés Mouvants (1912).

He wrote his first play, Les Aubes, in 1898. In this work, he criticized social inequality and the loss of rural life. In 1912, he created a tragedy called Hélène de Sparte, which was performed in German, Russian, and French.

In 1898, he moved to Saint-Cloud, near Paris. By the start of the 20th century, he was famous worldwide. His works were translated into more than twenty languages. His German translator was Stefan Zweig. He traveled across Europe, giving lectures.

Verhaeren believed in equal rights for all people and opposed war. The start of World War I deeply affected his strong belief in peace. He went to England, where he received honors from several universities. During his time in exile, he published Les Ailes rouges de la Guerre.

Death

Émile Verhaeren died on 27 November 1916 at Rouen station; he was hit by a moving train while trying to get on it.

St. Amands, his hometown, has a museum dedicated to him. The museum displays original manuscripts of his writings, letters, and works by his artistic friends, including Théo van Rysselberghe, Léon Spilliaert, Constantin Meunier, Paul Signac, and Ossip Zadkine. Verhaeren was the cousin of painter Alfred Verhaeren.