Portrait of Gustave en Norine Van Hecke 1920

Léon Spilliaert made this intriguing portrait of Gustave en Norine Van Hecke with, what looks like, oil on canvas. The painting is very flat, but the colours are surprisingly rich. I'm really drawn to the way Spilliaert uses colour and line to create depth. The man's tuxedo is this big, almost comical triangle, but the woman’s dress has this amazing floral pattern that’s both intricate and a bit suffocating. I wonder if they commissioned the portrait themselves? It feels very formal, but also weirdly intimate. Take a look at the floor, the paint is applied thinly, almost like a stain, and that blue background, like a stage backdrop. Spilliaert must have known James Ensor, right? There's something similarly unsettling about both of their work, that uncanny combination of the mundane and the bizarre. It's like he’s saying, 'Here we are, all dressed up, but what does it all mean?' Art doesn't provide answers, but it asks the questions that matter.