Life Hugo Claus

1 life

1.1 literary career
1.2 painting , film
1.3 death

life

hugo claus born on 5 april 1929 @ sint-janshospitaal in bruges, belgium. eldest of sons born jozef (joseph) claus, printer had passion theater; mother germaine vanderlinden. 3 more sons born family within subsequent decade: guido (february 1931 – 9 november 1991), odo (born january 1934), , johan (november 1938 – 13 february 2009).

educated @ boarding school, young hugo claus lived in belgium during german invasion of country in world war ii. several of claus schoolteachers during half-decade of german occupation of country right-wing nationalists eager support pro-german government; father briefly held in custody pro-german activities after end of occupation, , hugo himself swayed supporting pro-german flemish fascist youth movement. claus experience wartime nationalist right later become source 1983 book sorrow of belgium, novel tells story of claus alter ego louis seynaeve. sympathizer of political left @ more mature period in life, claus lauded socialist model after visit cuba in 1960s.

claus prominence in literary circles , debut novelist came in 1950, publication of de metsiers @ age twenty-one. first published poems had in fact been printed father 1947. lived in paris 1950 until 1952, met many of members of cobra art movement.

from february 1953 until beginning of 1955, hugo claus lived in italy girlfriend elly overzier (born in 1928) acted in few films. married on 26 may 1955, , had son, thomas, on 7 october 1963. in 1970s, had affair actress sylvia kristel, 23 years younger, whom had son, arthur, in 1975. relationship ended in 1977, when left him actor ian mcshane.

he contrarian , of anarchist spirit . journalist guy duplat recalls claus had organized in knokke election of miss knokke festival , typical beauty contest, except claus ruling members of all-male jury have naked.

literary career

hugo claus considered 1 of important contemporary belgian authors . claus published novel schola nostra (1971) under pseudonym dorothea van male. used pseudonyms jan hyoens , thea streiner. 1962 de verwondering (the astonishment) , 1983 het verdriet van belgië (the sorrow of belgium) rank among claus significant works novelist. lee views het verdriet van belgië postmodern critique of national identity.

most prolific in literary endeavors dramatist, claus wrote 35 original pieces , 31 translations english, greek, latin, french , spanish plays , novels. dramatic sketch masscheroen first staged @ knokke casino , featured all-nude cast: 3 naked men given task of portraying christian holy trinity of god father, god son, , holy spirit; work made light of holy virgin, belgian saint, , 3 wise men. attacked blasphemous , deleterious public s moral well-being, light-hearted play s performance triggered notable legal case in claus prosecuted: convicted on charges of public indecency, claus ordered pay ten-thousand-belgian franc fine , serve four-month prison sentence. prison term reduced suspended sentence after public outcry.

claus wrote script of satirical comic strip, de avonturen van belgman ( adventures of belgian man ) in 1967, spoofed belgian bi-lingual troubles. strip drawn artist hugoké (hugo de kempeneer).

hugo claus name had been put forward many times nobel prize in literature, on casually comment prize money suit me fine .

painting , film

as painter, claus participant in cobra art movement 1950. had developed friendships of members, , illustrated book pierre alechinsky in 1949. collaborated key figures in movement including karel appel , corneille , participated in exhibitions. later used experiences of time in book een zachte vernieling (mild destruction).

claus directed 7 films between 1964 , 2001. film het sacrament screened in un regard section @ 1990 cannes film festival.

death

claus suffered alzheimer s disease , requested life terminated through euthanasia, legal procedure in belgium, @ middelheim hospital in antwerp on 19 march 2008.

the flemish minister of culture stated knew him enough know wanted depart pride , dignity. former belgian prime minister guy verhofstadt said imagined onset of alzheimer s must have been inevitable , unbearable torture . can live fact decided thus, said, because left great glowing star, right on time, before have collapsed stellar black hole.

his death euthanasia has received criticism roman catholic church , belgian alzheimer league. roman catholic church criticized media coverage; belgian cardinal godfried danneels referred claus euthanasia in easter homily. belgian alzheimer league respects claus decision, believes media coverage of death neglects other options alzheimer s patients.