James Ensor Masks Confronting Death 1888

  • Not on view

A group of masked figures confronts the figure of Death, centrally situated and draped in white, a color that infiltrates the entire picture. Composed of masks adorned with drapery, hats, and even blue glasses, the arrangement of figures recalls Ensor's earlier still-life compositions. The ubiquitous masks in Ensor's work were likely based on those sold in his family's curiosity shop a few floors below his studio. He explained, "The mask means to me: freshness of color, sumptuous decoration, wild unexpected gestures, very shrill expressions, exquisite turbulence." In this painting, the fantastical masked inventions appear to come alive and challenge Death—perhaps a reflection of the artist's preoccupation with mortality and his hope that he might prevail against its inevitable dominion.

Gallery label from James Ensor, June 28–September 21, 2009.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
32 x 39 1/2" (81.3 x 100.3 cm)
Credit
Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund
Object number
505.1951
Copyright
© 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SABAM, Brussels
Department
Painting and Sculpture

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Provenance Research Project

This work is included in the Provenance Research Project, which investigates the ownership history of works in MoMA's collection.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Rousseau, Brussels. [Likely purchased from the artist by Mariette Rousseau, 1890] By 1905 – 1921
Mrs. G. Born, Anvers/Antwerp. By 1922 – at least until 1947
Gustave van Geluwe (1881-1962), Brussels. By 1949 – 1951
Galerie Georges Giroux, Brussels. Agent for van Geluwe, 1951
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchased from Galerie Georges Giroux, 1951

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