View of Bruges – Sint Anna Quarter

Leo Van Der Smissen (Leo Vandersmissen) was born in Dendermonde on June 20 in 1900. He was a Belgian painter associated with the Bruges School, known for his luminist and late-impressionist style. His work is marked by a sober yet expressive use of color and a solid, refined treatment of natural and urban subjects.

Born in Dendermonde, Leo was the son of Karel Vandersmissen and Josepha Steppe. In 1908, the family, with their eight children, settled in Assebroek, near Bruges, where Karel opened an antiques business on the Dijver. Leo’s brother, Frans Vandersmissen (1894–1964), also became an artist, working as a sculptor in Bruges.

Leo studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bruges from 1913 to 1919, where he was taught by the renowned artist Flori Van Acker, earning several first prizes. He furthered his training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, studying under Godron and Karel Tremerie, and later at the Dendermonde Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Ferdinand Willaert, a key figure in the Dendermonde School.

Strongly influenced in his early years by the work of Franz Courtens, Leo evolved under Willaert’s mentorship towards luminism, a movement focused on the effects of light and color.

Despite his artistic talents, Vandersmissen struggled financially. After an unsuccessful attempt to become a teacher at the Bruges Academy, he worked full-time as a painter, while his wife Yvonne Sohie (whom he married in 1930) ran a café to support the family. They had three daughters, two of whom died at an early age. From 1941, she managed Café De Breughel on the Vismarkt, and from 1948, Café Monreal on the Kraanplein. In later years, the couple lived in the Cesar Gezellestraat in Assebroek, where Leo worked as a painter for the City of Bruges, and in 1965–66 as a typesetter at La Brugeoise.

Vandersmissen’s oeuvre includes townscapes, landscapes, church interiors, marines, portraits, still lifes, and nudes. He is especially admired for his depictions of woodland scenes, notably the expressive treatment of tree trunks, a recurring motif in his work. His painting Still Life with Herring poignantly reflects the poverty he experienced, transforming hardship into deeply human and poetic imagery.

His brushwork is bold and concise, revealing a confident hand and a masterful control of tone and composition. Vandersmissen was a committed colourist who remained true to his subjects while adapting stylistically across genres.

Leo Vandersmissen died in Bruges on 16 November 1966, leaving behind a rich and sincere body of work that continues to speak to the depth of his artistic vision.

Literature:

• G. Michils, De Brugse School, Bruges, 1990

• M. Van Coppenolle, Figuren uit het Brugsche, 1936