THE COLLECTION
Capture of a Strange Town (Prise d'une ville étrange)
James Ensor (Belgian, 1860-1949)
1888. Etching, composition: 6 3/4 x 9 1/8" (17.2 x 23.2 cm); plate: 7 1/16 x 9 3/8" (17.9 x 23.8cm); sheet: 14 x 18 7/8" (35.6 x 47.9cm). Publisher: the artist, Brussels. Printer: Léon Evely, Brussels. Edition: unknown. Purchase. © 2010 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SABAM, Brussels
115.1949
Wunderkammer: A Century of Curiosities
July 30–November 10, 2008
Ensor's bizarre visions were fueled, from early childhood, by the attic above his family's souvenir shop. He described it as "dark and frightening . . . full of horrible spiders, curios, seashells, plants and animals from distant seas, beautiful chinaware, rust and blood-colored effects, red and white coral, monkeys, turtles, dried mermaids."
If you are interested in reproducing images from The Museum of Modern Art web site, please visit the Image Permissions page (www.moma.org/permissions). For additional information about using content from MoMA.org, please visit About this Site (www.moma.org/site).
© Copyright 2009 The Museum of Modern Art