Nude by a window

It was only after 1914, when being confronted with work by Sluijters, Gestel, Matisse, Kirchner, Schmidt-Rottluff and Heckel, that Gustave De Smet, introduced the female figure, in particular the female nude, as an independent subject. Once this subject was accepted, it was more and more a leitmotiv in the artist's work. What De Smet's women distinguishes from the interpretation by other artists is a undeniable humility and simplicity. De Smet's female nude remains far from the sensualism that characterizes for example the women of Renoir or Modigliani. Also the sexual tension, which is tangible in the nudes of Kirchner, Heckel and Pechstein, is lacking in his work altogether, although he was certainly influenced by the German expressionists. De Smet's nude is probably closest to the ones Matisse painted. Like in Matisse's work, the nude does not act, hardly moves and is mostly lost in dreams. There is a difference in atmosphere between the two artists though: while the female figures of the French master show a strong sensuality, Gustave De Smet shows compassion, modesty and mildness. Also the sophisticated and flirtatious nudes Jan Sluijters painted, are completely different from De Smet's women. An equanimous, dreaming mood surrounds the motionlessly waiting figures. In their sober, pure style they harmonize with the simple interior, with the elements of the landscape visible through the window. A blend of melancholy and resignation intrudes on us. It is not patience and resignation in a negative sense though; in its expression shows a wealth of endurance, serenity and control. It is an attitude which is a source of mildness, of deep subdued joy, of inner greatness.

(P. Boyens, Gust. De Smet Kroniek - Kunsthistorische analyse, Antwerp 1989, p. 268).