Between March and August 1921, Spilliaert briefly resided in Ostend.
This confused his regular correspondents, including Georges Baltus, Paul Desmeth, Paul Fierens and Henri Vandeputte, as the postal address of his home at 33 Begijnenstraat in Molenbeek had to be changed several times to his temporary address in Ostend.1 During this period, he produced portraits of three Ostend acquaintances: Constant Permeke, Henri Vandeputte and Fernand Crommelynck, works of art that he completed during the summer of 1921.2 Spilliaert, by his own account, was happy during this time at the coast. He enjoyed chatting with these ‘incredibly different and interesting’ friends like Crommelynck who lived nearby, or relaxing with his family on the beach.3 The house was located along the tramline, halfway between Wellington Racecourse and his later home at 13 Peter Benoîtstraat, and near a ‘preventorium’ and holiday camp for children.4 By 1900, the house was known as Villa Wirquin and could be rented by the month.5 Spilliaert returned to 33 Begijnenstraat in Molenbeek in late August 1921. But again his correspondents lost track of him: on 25 August 1921, Walter Sauer mistakenly wrote to Spilliaert at the address in Ostend.6 In May 1922, Spilliaert left Brussels to eventually live in Ostend for thirteen years.
