The Graslei in Ghent

In 1901 Gustave de Smet moved from the nearby village of Deurle to Sint-Martens-Latem. The painters from Latem were not isolated from the impressionist current that was sweeping Belgium under the influence of Emile Claus and the new Vie et Lumire group, which first exhibited in 1905. Gustave De Smet, Frits van den Berghe and Constant Permeke all painted many works in an impressionist manner. Few of these exist today, many having been destroyed by the artists themselves, as Paul Haesaerts says "Certaines furent dtruites par leurs auteurs, presque honteux, plus tard, s'tant tout differemment orients, d'avoir eu la faiblesse de cder l'impressionisme" (P. Haesaerts, Laethem-Saint-Martin, Brussels 1965). Haesaerts goes on to describe Gustave De Smet's tentative exploration into impressionism and luminism before he developed his own expressive style "De Smet, d'une extrme prudence qui le fait dbuter par un rendu presque photographique et naturaliste des paysages et aborder en suite avec la plus grande circonspection ses recherches luministes" (P. Haesaerts, op.cit., p. 186).
For a comparable work,see: P. Boyens, Gust. De Smet Kroniek - Kunsthistorische analyse, Antwerpen 1989, cat.no. 81, p. 308.

Piet Boyens has kindly confirmed the authenticity of the present lot.