Sander Pierron was a Belgian writer who wrote in French. He was born in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean on July 6, 1872, and died in Ixelles on September 8, 1945.
Alexandre Pierron, known as “Sander,” came from a family of artisans. His father, Evariste, was involved in the birth of socialism in Belgium. Despite excelling in primary school, Sander Pierron was forced to abandon his studies to work as a typographer for an unscrupulous printer.
His meeting with Georges Eekhoud (1854–1927), who hired him as his secretary, would change his life. This Flemish novelist, a left-wing French-language writer from the liberal milieu of Antwerp, fought against social injustice by participating, among other things, with Fernand Brouez in the adventure of La Société nouvelle, a magazine that called for social revolution. It was with this committed writer that the young Sander, barely nineteen years old, was introduced to narrative writing.
Georges Eekhoud, who at the time was an arts columnist for various newspapers, introduced him to Shakespeare and Goethe while teaching him English and German. He also gave him the opportunity to visit numerous exhibitions and attend shows. It was Eekhoud who later got him a job as a journalist at L'Indépendance belge.
A close bond developed between Sander Pierron and his mentor, as evidenced by the 250 letters exchanged between the two men and the diary kept by the novelist, collected in a book entitled Mon Bien Aime Petit Sander (My Beloved Little Sander). The book reveals a genuine romantic relationship between the two married men, which was discreetly conducted and consented to by their respective wives.
He also became secretary of Labeur, an important group of artists.
It was through his contact with Eekhoud, but also with many other Belgian writers such as Verhaeren, Le Roy, Camille Lemonnier, and Eugène Demolder, that Sander Pierron acquired a solid reputation as an art critic. In 1903, he moved to 157 Rue de l'Aqueduc in Ixelles, not far from the famous Avenue Louise, to a house designed by Victor Horta, which is now part of Brussels' protected heritage. It was at this same time that the former typographer turned writer, journalist, and art critic wrote an article on his architect friend's latest project: the Wauquez stores on Rue des Sables in Brussels.
