▁in ▁Sint - Mart ens - Lat em . ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁he ▁met ▁Albert ▁Ser va es , ▁Gust a af ▁De ▁S met ▁and ▁Constant ▁P erme ke . ▁T ogether , ▁they ▁established ▁what ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁ ▁of ▁expression ist ▁painting . ▁He ▁also ▁obtained ▁what ▁would ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁lif el ong ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁journalist ▁and ▁art ▁prom oter , ▁Paul - G ust ave ▁van ▁He cke . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁he ▁was ▁married ▁and , ▁shortly ▁after , ▁became ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁Gh ent ▁Academy . ▁A ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁his ▁family ▁life ▁and ▁art istic ▁career ▁were ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁actress , ▁St ella ▁van ▁de ▁W iele ▁( 1 8 8 7 – 1 9 5 4 ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁he ▁gave ▁up ▁his ▁position ▁and ▁spent ▁six ▁months ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁refuge e ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁He , ▁St ella ▁and ▁De ▁S met ▁tou red ▁the ▁art ▁colon ies ▁in ▁Amsterdam , ▁Bl ar icum ▁and ▁Lar en , ▁where ▁he ▁briefly ▁taught . ▁His ▁work ▁also ▁m ature d ▁and ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Fre ud ian ▁ps y cho analysis . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁after ▁returning ▁to ▁Belg ium , ▁he ▁lived ▁with ▁De ▁S met ▁and ▁P erme ke ▁in ▁O ost