The case of Elisabeth De Saedeleer (1902-1972): The influence of Welsh hospitality in the Great War on Belgian Modernist interior design

At the beginning of the Great War in August 1914 Belgium was a neutral country. The German invasion came as a shock and German atrocities were so extreme that vast masses of the Belgian population left their homes and fled to France, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. Altogether more than 150,000 B...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The British art journal 2015-03, Vol.15 (3), p.93-98
Main Author: Verdickt, Caterina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Art, Belgian
De Saedeleer, Elisabeth
History
Interior design
Interior designers
Works
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:At the beginning of the Great War in August 1914 Belgium was a neutral country. The German invasion came as a shock and German atrocities were so extreme that vast masses of the Belgian population left their homes and fled to France, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. Altogether more than 150,000 Belgians, of whom approximately 300 were artists of all sorts, stayed for a shorter or longer period in Britain during the War. The many refugees caused chaos, especially in the first months of the war after the surprise attack of the Germans. But, however chaotic it might have been, the British press spoke of a peaceful invasion. The Belgians were in general not seen as a threat, since at that time it was clear that their stay would be temporary. This article traces the history of one Belgium family during this period: that of Elisabeth de Saedeleer, the daughter of the prominent artist Valerius de Saedeleer (1867-1941). [Revised Publication Abstract]
ISSN:1467-2006