The Port of Ostend - Gustave de Smet

Sale price$29.00
Product: Fine Art Poster
Size: A4 (21x29.7 cm)
Frame: -
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This oil on canvas by Gustave de Smet depicts the port of Ostend with thick brushstrokes and a muted palette. The painting captures the essence of a working port with a sense of quiet contemplation.

Gustave de Smet (1877-1943) was a Belgian painter associated with Fauvism and Expressionism. He is known for his simplified forms, bold colours, and depictions of everyday life. His artistic journey involved experimentation with various styles, including a period influenced by Cubism, before he developed his own distinctive approach. De Smet's work often reflects a sense of melancholy and introspection, capturing the atmosphere of his surroundings. He was a member of the Latem School, a group of artists who congregated in the village of Sint-Martens-Latem, near Ghent, seeking a retreat from urban life and embracing a more rural existence. 'The Port of Ostend' exemplifies de Smet's style through its depiction of a harbour scene. The painting features ships rendered with thick, expressive brushstrokes and a muted palette. The composition is relatively simple, with the focus on the shapes and forms of the boats and the reflections in the water. The colours are subdued, creating a hazy, atmospheric effect. The overall impression is one of quiet contemplation, capturing the essence of a working port.

Crafted for a Lifetime

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    Solid wood frames, UV-protected acrylic glaze, and archival backing for lasting durability.

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    12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified 200gsm fine art paper, with lifetime fade resistance.

  • Crafted in the UK

    Sustainably sourced materials, precision manufactured locally, reducing carbon footprint.

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    Each frame is sealed with rigid backing and fixings attached, no extra effort required.

Crafted for a Lifetime — frame exploded view

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Fine Art Poster

Iconic artworks with vivid colors using giclée fine art 12-color printing technology. Unmatched quality and durability using 200gsm smooth matte paper. Unframed; delivered flat or rolled.

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Our Master's Edition 250gsm archival paper, in off-white and uncoated, offers museum-quality for art enthusiasts seeking a luxurious way to enjoy world-class artworks.

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The same 200gsm fine art paper and 12-colour giclée process as our museum posters, mounted in a solid wood frame with UV acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Ready to hang.

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Classic 200gsm premium matte paper with 8-colour giclée printing, set in a durable wooden frame with lightweight acrylic glaze. Ready to hang.

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Our premium finish, a richly textured canvas set in an elegant floating wood frame. Combines depth, texture, and craftsmanship for a gallery-worthy presentation. Delivered ready to hang.

What our customers say

Real reviews from real customers

jayne-review-image
Received the beautiful hummingbird print in black frame. Great service, stunning print, I will post a picture when the room is finished. Thank you
Jayne - Yorkshire
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-22 at 17.52.11
Delighted with this print! The colours are extremely vibrant, the imagine crystal clear and beautifully displayed in an attractive frame. Delivery was prompt and securely packaged. Highly recommended and will be using again!
Matt - Rutland
nikki
So pleased with my print and the frame it’s housed in. Fantastic quality and really adds character to the room. Communication was great and it was delivered quicker than estimated. Overall I’m extremely pleased and will recommend to friends. I’m already eying up my next purchase!
Nikki - London
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Beautiful print, great quality and love it with the white frame. Delivery was really fast. I've had loads of compliments from visitors as I've hung it in my hallway as the first thing you see when you enter the house. Couldn't be happier.
Alice - Norfolk

Gustave de Smet

When war broke out in 1914, De Smet and his friend Frits Van den Berghe fled Belgium together for the Netherlands. The flight transformed both painters. In the Netherlands, exposure to the Bergen School and to Leo Gestel's work converted De Smet from an Impressionist into an Expressionist. He returned to Belgium in 1922 a different artist. He was born in Ghent in 1877. His father Jules was a decorative painter and photographer. He attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent from 1889 to 1896, then joined the artistic community at Sint-Martens-Latem, where he, Constant Permeke and Van den Berghe became the three founders of Flemish Expressionism, the second Latem School. After the war, he settled in Deurle in 1927. His mature paintings depict farmers, fishermen, popular entertainments and working-class women, composed as geometric, puzzle-like arrangements of coloured shapes that fuse Expressionism with Cubism. Village fairs and circus scenes recur frequently, treated with a formal rigour that lifts them out of genre painting into something more structural. His palette, brighter than Permeke's and more structured than Van den Berghe's, gives his Expressionism a decorative quality that softens without weakening the formal discipline underneath. He died in 1943, at sixty-six.