The Family in the Garden, ca. 1919

This painting is an interesting document because it refers to the homecoming of Gustave Van de Woestyne and his family after staying in Wales and England. We see the couple with between them David, who had been born in Wales. On the left are Maria, the eldest daughter, and Maxime. Between the two groups, twin sisters Elisabeth and Béatrice walk hand in hand. It is uncertain whether the scene reflects the reality of the 'Rose House' in Waregem, where the artist took up residence in the summer of 1919. Nevertheless, it is clear that the 'Rose House' on the right is meant, while the Belgian flag underlines that the scene is indeed set in the homeland. It may surprise Van de Woestyne to create such a naive-looking depiction after the ambitious works he painted in Wales and England. The work is reminiscent of the naive art of Henri Rousseau, whom Van de Woestyne mentions as 'my friend' in one of his letters (Gustave Van de Woestyne to Jacob de Graaff, 14 June 1919). The fresh simplicity of the work seems to symbolise the beginning of a new phase of life in an unfamiliar paradise. For the artist, the family and the home acquire a special significance in the first years after the forced stay in the foreign country, several works testify to this. In this sense, this work represents an unfinished transition to a new phase in his art.