Jean de Boschère

Born in Uccle, Belgium, in 1878, Jean de Bosschère was a writer, poet, and visual artist whose work crossed easy boundaries. He studied art in Belgium and published early prose poems that he illustrated himself, showing from the start how closely his writing and artwork belonged together.

During the First World War he lived in London, where he came into contact with figures including Ezra Pound. Later he spent years in Italy and eventually settled in France, where he died in La Châtre in 1953 after taking French nationality.

Critics often describe him as a solitary, rebellious presence, and that sense of independence runs through his career. Alongside poetry and prose, he produced illustrations and book art, creating a body of work shaped as much by image and atmosphere as by story.