Mentor in Brussels
Edmond Deman, born on 26 March 1857, at rue de l’Empereur in Brussels, was a prominent figure in the literary and artistic circles of his time. He studied law in Leuven where he met Émile Verhaeren (1855-1916) and Iwan Gilkin, the future founders of the magazine La Jeune Belgique. They worked together on the student magazine La semaine des étudiants.1
In 1880, he married Constance Horwath and that same year they founded the Salon Littéraire National on rue Arenberg in Brussels.2 The reading room, which later became known as La lecture Universelle, moved in 1896 to 86 Bergstraat where Deman’s bookshop was also located. In the nineteenth century, reading rooms were very popular in Belgium; in 1895, La Lecture universelle offered more than 10,000 books.3 Deman's bookshop specialised in rare and valuable books for bibliophiles.4
Deman made a living from the reading room and his bookshop, but publishing books was his real passion. He published about fifty books and a number of high-quality print albums. He meticulously monitored every aspect of the production process, from the choice of text and illustrations to the type of paper and typeface.5 The publications sprouted from his friendships with artists and writers within the literary-artistic circle Les XX and l’Art Moderne. Deman published collections of poetry and plays by well-known authors such as Émile Verhaeren (1855-1916), Stéphane Mallarmé and Maurice Maeterlinck. Félicien Rops, Armand Rassenfosse, Auguste Donnay and others illustrated the publications.6
In the summer of 1902, Spilliaert moved to Brussels, hoping to work for Deman. After a trial period, between September 1902 and 14 February 1903, he was given a permanent position.7 A close bond developed between Deman and Spilliaert as mentor and apprentice.
The artist was even welcomed - rather exceptionally - into Deman’s family life. The fiancé of the eldest daughter, Gabrielle (Gaby) (1881-1962), was Albert Sillye (1867-1929). Spilliaert hoped, in vain, to travel to Congo himself, with the help of the Congo Free State commander. What's more, the artist became friends with youngest daughter Paule(-tte) (1886-1966), who also pursued a career in art. In his letters to father Deman, Spilliaert candidly shares his doubts about his career and even the ups and downs of his love life.8
Spilliaert stayed in touch with Deman after leaving his employment in 1904. In 1907, he was commissioned to illustrate Le Sculpteur de Masques (The Sculptor of Masks) by Fernand Crommelynck (1886-1970), but the designs did not appeal to Deman. Spilliaert didn’t blame him: ‘I am a poor translator of others’ dreams; I have too many of my own.’9 Two cover designs and some concluding pieces and vignettes for this commission have been preserved.10
In 1900, Deman’s health began to decline and his publishing business was not doing as well as expected. In around 1902, he talked of depression; it was precisely during this period that he came into contact with Spilliaert. He eventually gave up publishing and moved to Le Lavandou, France, at the start of the war, where he died on 19 February 1918. This loss, just a year after Verhaeren’s death, deeply affected Spilliaert. Deman’s youngest daughter Paulette Louveigné-Deman continued some of her father’s projects and kept in touch with Spilliaert by letter.11
