Léon Spilliaert (1881–1946) was born in the coastal town of Ostend. He moved to Brussels at the age of 20, and would live and work between the two cities for the rest of his life. Self-taught, he forged his own artistic identity, which was shaped by the affinity he felt with writers and thinkers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Friedrich Nietzsche.

This exhibition showcases some 80 works on paper – from images of Spilliaert’s home town and the coast, to later works capturing the tranquillity of the forest outside Brussels. Explore these works online in this video tour.