An Expressionist before his time, James Ensor (1860-1949) was an enigmatic "insider-outsider". He knew the most important personalities of the art world but hated most of them. His style was a cross between Gothic fantasy and Christian vision. A cosmopolitan pioneer of modernism, he lived as a recluse in an attic in the seaside resort of Ostend.
Despite his elusiveness, Ensor influenced generations of artists through his striking, often macabre paintings, prints and drawings. He has become known for his use of biting satire and allegory, his innovative use of light, and his interest in carnival and performance as exemplified in his 1889 Entry of Christ into Brussels, as well as for a wide range of self-portraits in which he exploits masks, disguises, and role-playing, taking on the features of Christ on the cross as those of a transvestite dandy.
This introduction to Ensor's work explores the richness and diversity of his imagery through representative examples of his work, both macabre and unusual.
