How did the ideals of individualism and art for art's sake shape late-19th-century Flemish writing?

In late-19th-century Flemish literature, the ideals of individualism and art for art's sake served as a transformative catalyst that moved writers away from the didacticism and sentimentalism of earlier periods.1

By the 1880s, a generation of writers began to emphasize these aesthetic principles, effectively widening the horizons of Flemish letters and preparing the ground for the influential Van Nu en Straks circle. This shift encouraged a focus on the subjective experience, where authors sought to give individual feelings universal significance through refined, imaginative expression.12

The movement toward Aestheticism and individualism allowed for:
* Psychological Depth: Writers moved toward the exploration of individual psychology, moving away from the social or moralizing agendas of the past.1
* Stylistic Refinement: There was a heightened concern for language and form, exemplified by the symbolic autobiography of Karel van de Woestijne, whose work captured the fin de siècle personality.2
* Cosmopolitanism: These ideals fostered a more international outlook, encouraging a departure from purely regional or nationalist themes toward a broader, more universal literary consciousness.21