George Minne

George Minne (1866-1941) was a Flemish sculptor, painter and draughtsman. From 1882 to 1884 he studied at the Academy of Ghent in Belgium. In 1886 his friendship with Maurice Maeterlinck (Nobel Prize in Literature 1911) started. In this period he also became known as a book illustrator. In 1890 he exhibited some of his sculptures with Les XX in Brussels and in 1891 he became a member of this important artists’ group. His strongest and most original creative period falls in the years 1890 to 1900. In 1898 he settled with his wife and children (eventually seven) in Sint-Martens-Latem near Ghent and became the leader of the artists’ colony there, which included the painters Albijn Van den Abeele, Valerius De Saedeleer, Albert Servaes and Gustave Van de Woestyne. The main intent of this so-called first school of Latem was the search for meaningful spiritual art. Around 1905 the second school of Latem followed, which had a more expressionist focus. Especially this second group had a great influence on the development of later modernist movements in Belgium. Minne lived a life of sobriety in Latem, while gaining international fame and commissions. In 1912 he became a teacher at the Academy of Ghent. During the war he found refuge in Wales. After the war he took up his teaching position again. On 25 April 1931 he was given the title of baron. In 1941 he was buried in the graveyard of Sint-Martens-Latem.