La veille de Saint-Nicolas. Les sabots devant l’âtre 1918

Editor: Here we have "La veille de Saint-Nicolas. Les sabots devant l’âtre" by Léon Spilliaert, created in 1918 using coloured pencil. It feels so intimate, like a secret glimpse into childhood. I'm curious, what's your interpretation of this piece? Curator: Well, look closely at Spilliaert’s materials. He chose humble coloured pencils, typically used for children's drawings, and elevates them to create art. Why do you think he made that decision, especially in 1918? Consider the materials, colored pencil and paper: so easily acquired, common even, reflecting, I believe, the realities and the potential democratisation of artistic practices within a society marked by war, with shifting class boundaries and rising consumerism.. Editor: That’s a really interesting point! So, it's about access and availability? I guess the choice of materials isn't just aesthetic, but it speaks to a broader social context? Curator: Precisely. He's blurring the lines between "high art" and everyday crafting. Examine how the children, actively engaged in a ritual connected to both consumerism and religious traditions. Notice how the drawing depicts the shoes—mass produced and now individualised with hopes and dreams – arranged just so for Saint Nicholas, pointing to that moment of potential gift exchange. Editor: The placement of the shoes is so deliberate! It makes me wonder about Spilliaert’s commentary on the holiday’s commercial aspect. Curator: And how are the roles depicted as domestic labour done by two young girls? Food placed near the shoes – not the shoes alone but accompanying labour rendered as caretaking. Now think of Spilliaert, in his studio. He’s also engaged in labour. The materiality allows artmaking to be interrogated itself. The process as it involves time, production and even questions consumption. Editor: So, this isn’t just a charming scene but also a social observation disguised as childhood innocence, revealed through the materiality of the artwork? That really makes you look at the art, and the world, in a new light. Thanks!