Émile Verhaeren | |
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 Portrait of Verhaeren byThéo van Rysselberghe | |
| Born | (1855-05-21)21 May 1855 Sint-Amands, Belgium |
| Died | 27 November 1916(1916-11-27) (aged 61) Rouen, French Third Republic |
| Education | College of Saint Barbara, Ghent |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of Louvain |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, writer, art critic |
| Known for | Symbolism |
| Notable work | Les Villes tentaculaires, 1895 |
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Émile Adolphe Gustave Verhaeren (Dutch:[eːˈmiləvərˈɦaːrə(n)]; 21 May 1855 – 27 November 1916) was aBelgian poet and art critic who wrote in theFrench language. He was one of the founders of the school ofSymbolism and was nominated for theNobel Prize in Literature on six occasions.[1]
Émile Verhaeren was born into a middle-class French-speaking family inSint-Amands, a rural commune inBelgium'sProvince of Antwerp, although he also spoke the local Dutch dialect. At the age of eleven, he was sent to a strict boarding school in Ghent run byJesuits, the Jesuit College of Sainte Barbe, where he formed a friendship withGeorges Rodenbach.[2] He then studied law at the then French-speakingCatholic University of Leuven, where he produced his first literary efforts in a student paper,La Semaine (The Week), which he edited in conjunction with the opera singerErnest van Dyck.La Semaine was suppressed by the authorities, as was its successor,Le Type, where his colleagues includedMax Waller,Iwan Gilkin andAlbert Giraud.[2] His like-minded acquaintances later became his collaborators on the revolutionary artistic magazineLa Jeune Belgique (Young Belgium).
Having earned his law degree, he trained from 1881–1884 underEdmond Picard, a renowned criminal lawyer and influential figure in theBrussels artistic scene. Verhaeren came into frequent contact with young, radical writers and artists at a time of artistic renewal. He spoke in only two court cases before deciding to dedicate his life to poetry and literature.
He soon became the spokesperson for the artistic revival at theturn of the century. Fascinated by the works of the painters of the artistic circle "Les XX", he wrote many articles inLa Jeune Belgique andL'Art Moderne with flamboyant criticism on the artistic-literary works of the Brussels art world. He made himself especially the champion of the impressionist painters,[2] and his articles brought many promising young talents, such asJames Ensor andFernand Khnopff, to the attention of the public.
Through these articles, he became a lifelong friend of the Neo-impressionist Belgian painterThéo van Rysselberghe, resulting in a vast body of letters. In one of these letters, he was described by Maria van Rysselberghe as "a unique personality, a whirlwind with an indomitable character, who didn't bother himself about bourgeois rules and who provoked or overwhelmed everybody by his straightforward directness".
He was one of the most prolific poets of his era. His first collection of poems,Les Flamandes, was published in 1883. Inspired by the paintings ofJacob Jordaens,David Teniers andJan Steen, Verhaeren described in a direct and often provocative,naturalistic way his country and the Flemish people. It was an immediate success in avant-garde milieus but caused a great deal of controversy inCatholic circles. His next book,Les Moines (1886), was not the success he had hoped for. This, and his health problems, led to a deep crisis. In this period he publishedLes Soirs (1888),Les Débâcles (1888) andLes Flambeaux noirs (1891), all withEdmond Deman, who became his usual publisher.
On 24 August 1891 he marriedMarthe Massin, a talented artist fromLiège. His new-found happiness found expression in three poetry books:Les Heures Claires (1896),Les Heures d'Après-midi (1905) andLes Heures du Soir (1911). His later poems includeLes Rythmes souverains (1910),Les Villes à pignons (1910),Les Plaines (1911) andLes Blés Mouvants (1912).[3]
He wrote his first play,Les Aubes, in 1898. Here he waged a fight against social injustice and the decline of life in the countryside. In 1912, he produced a tragedy,Hélène de Sparte, which was performed in German and Russian, besides French.[3]
In 1898 he moved toSaint-Cloud, nearParis. By the turn of the century, he had become world-famous. His works were translated into more than twenty languages. His German translator wasStefan Zweig.[4][5] He travelled, giving lectures, throughout Europe.
Verhaeren was an anarchist.[6] The outbreak ofWorld War I had a devastating effect on the poet's deep pacifist feelings. He went to England, where he received honorary degrees from various universities. During his exile, he publishedLes Ailes rouges de la Guerre.[3]
Émile Verhaeren died on 27 November 1916 atRouen station; he fell under a moving train while trying to board it.[3]
St. Amands, his native city, has dedicated a museum to this giant of Belgian literature, showing many original manuscripts of his works and letters along with works of his artistic friendsThéo van Rysselberghe,Léon Spilliaert,Constantin Meunier,Paul Signac andOssip Zadkine. Verhaeren was the cousin of the painterAlfred Verhaeren.[7]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Verhaeren, Émile".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 1023. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). "Verhaeren, Émile".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 32 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. p. 925.
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