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.
James Ensor, June 28–September 21, 2009.
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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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