James Ensor: (last copies) (E) - Hardcover

4.12

8 ratings by Goodreads

9783775717038: James Ensor: (last copies) (E)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 377571703X ISBN 13: 9783775717038

Publisher: Hatje Cantz, 2005

Few artists of the late nineteenth century produced an oeuvre more bizarre, ironic, profound and rich in interpretive possibilities than the Belgian painter James Ensor. Ensor lived from 1860 until 1949, and has enjoyed newfound fame since 1994 as the subject of the They Might Be Giants song "Meet James Ensor." His unusual work challenged standards of taste and technique by mingling the influence of his Belgian forbears, Bosch and Breugel, with a bright, loosely brushed impressionist style. Ensor offered unmistakable symbols of the absurdity of existence--particularly in portraying the tourists who flooded his native Ostend on their vacations, whom he caricatured mercilessly as clowns and skeletons, or concealed behind brightly colored carnival masks. His painting influenced both German Expressionists and French Surrealists. When seen in the light of new trends towards the grotesque and comic in contemporary painting, his work obtains new currency. James Ensor includes some eighty masterpieces on canvas and sixty works on paper from international museums and private collections, with key pieces from each of his creative periods. Particular attention is paid to his late work, long neglected by scholarship, in order to prepare the ground for a re-evaluation.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Synopsis:

Presenting key works from each of Ensor's creative periods, this book also features eighty paintings and 60 works on paper.

From the Inside Flap:

Few artists of the late nineteenth century produced an oeuvre which is more bizarre, ironic, profound, and rich in interpretive possibilities than that of the Belgian painter James Ensor. His unusual motifs, which became unmistakable symbols of the absurdity of existence, influenced both German Expressionists and French Surrealists. This volume shows all the works from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.