Don Quixote

James Ensor prints are bold, strange and full of life: carnival masks, grinning skeletons, crowds in fancy dress and the gray light of the North Sea. Ensor was a Belgian painter and printmaker from Ostend and an important influence on Expressionism and Surrealism. This collection gathers art prints of his mask and skeleton pictures, his satirical etchings, early interiors and still lifes, and his views of Ostend and the sea.

About James Ensor

James Ensor was born in Ostend on 13 April 1860. His father, born in Brussels to English parents, was a cultivated engineer; his Belgian mother ran a souvenir shop, and the carnival masks sold there fascinated the young Ensor and later filled his art. He left school at fifteen to train with local painters, and from 1877 to 1880 studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, where Fernand Khnopff was a fellow student.

From 1880 to 1917 he worked in a studio in the attic of his parents' house, and he rarely traveled. He was associated with the avant-garde group Les XX. In the 1880s much of his work was rejected as scandalous, especially Christ's Entry into Brussels in 1889, and he answered critics with biting satire.

Recognition came gradually. In 1895 the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium bought his painting The Lamp Boy, and by 1920 he was the subject of major exhibitions. In 1929 King Albert made him a baron. Ensor died in Ostend on 19 November 1949, aged 89.

Style and Subjects

Ensor's early paintings are dark, realistic interiors and seascapes, such as The Oyster Eater and The Rooftops of Ostend. In the mid-1880s his palette exploded into bright, clashing color, and masks and skeletons took over his art. He used them to mock hypocrisy, greed and the self-important figures of Belgian society.

His crowded scenes, swirling brushwork and grotesque faces made him a forerunner of Expressionism, and his fantastic imagery later appealed to the Surrealists. He was also a remarkable etcher, producing detailed, often humorous prints of religious, fantastic and everyday subjects.

Famous Works

• The Bourgeois Salon (1881), Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. A dark, quiet interior from his early realist period.
• The Oyster Eater (1882), Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. A woman alone at a richly laid table, rejected by the Antwerp salon.
• Self-Portrait with Flowered Hat (1883), Mu.ZEE, Ostend. Ensor in a playful hat with flowers and feathers.
• The Rooftops of Ostend (1884), Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. A wide view over his hometown under a huge sky.
• Christ's Entry into Brussels in 1889 (1888), J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. A vast, chaotic carnival parade, his masterpiece.
• The Intrigue (1890), Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. A crowd of grotesque masked figures.
• Skeletons Fighting over the Body of a Hanged Man (1891), Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. Two skeletons squabble in a theatrical scene.
• Death and the Masks (1897), Musée des Beaux-Arts, Liège. Death surrounded by masked revelers.

Decorating with Ensor Prints

Ensor's mask and skeleton pictures are bold conversation pieces for a living room, studio or home office with an eclectic or modern style. Their bright reds, greens and yellows look striking in simple black frames against white walls.

His early interiors and Ostend views are calmer and suit a dining room or study, while his detailed etchings make a fascinating gallery wall for a hallway or library.

FAQ

What art movement was James Ensor part of?

Ensor was associated with the Belgian avant-garde group Les XX. His work links Symbolism with Expressionism, and it later influenced the Surrealists.

What is James Ensor's most famous painting?

Christ's Entry into Brussels in 1889 (1888), now in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, is his most famous work. It shows a huge, chaotic carnival crowd and is considered a forerunner of Expressionism.

Where can I see Ensor's original paintings?

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp holds the world's largest Ensor collection. Others are at Mu.ZEE in Ostend, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels and the Getty Museum.

How can you recognize a James Ensor painting?

Look for carnival masks, skeletons, crowded scenes, bright clashing colors and a sharp sense of humor or satire. His early works are darker interiors and seascapes.

Why did Ensor paint so many masks?

He grew up in his family's souvenir shop in Ostend, which sold carnival masks. Their bright colors and expressive forms gave him a way to show human folly and hypocrisy with complete freedom.

Related Artists

• Fernand Khnopff — fellow student at the Brussels Academy and member of Les XX
• Théo van Rysselberghe — fellow founding member of Les XX
• Félicien Rops — Belgian printmaker known for satirical and macabre subjects
• Edvard Munch — fellow pioneer of Expressionism
• Pieter Bruegel the Elder — Flemish master of crowded, fantastic scenes whom Ensor admired