Léon Spilliaert (Ostend, July 28, 1881 - Brussels, November 23, 1946) was one of the most important Belgian painters of the first half of the twentieth century.
In his early days he was one of the founders of literary symbolism. Contrary to the real symbolists, such as Xavier Mellery and Fernand Khnopff, Spilliaert followed a different and idiosyncratic way in interpreting the world around him. He did this by evoking moods that he "articulated" in his work with a minimum of resources. Contemporary art critics, such as Karel Van de Woestijne, interpreted his moods as a "literary realization" rather than as the work of a "beautiful painter". It is difficult to fit into one style and remains an outsider in Belgian painting, averse to influences from many other art styles of his time. His best period before 1914 is as an eccentric seer of a strange reality.