James Ensor

Maverick master: An enigmatic world of masks and the macabre An expressionist before the term was coined, James Ensor(1860 1949) was the classic insider-outsider enigma. He knew all the right art-world figures but loathed most of them. His style lurched from the Gothic fantastical to the Christian visionary. He was a cosmopolitan trailblazer of modernism, but lived reclusively in an attic room in the resort town of Ostend.For all his elusivness, Ensor influenced generations of artists through his vivid, often gruesome, paintings, prints, and drawings. He is cited in particular for his use ofdark satireandallegory, his innovativelighting, and for his interest in carnival and performance, showcased inThe Entry of Christ into Brussels in 1889as well as in his repertoire of self-portraits in which he adoptsmasking, travesty, and role-playingto adopt such varied guises as Christ on the cross and a cross-dressing dandy.This introduction to Ensor explores the richness and variety of his imagery through key examples of his macabre, maverick oeuvre. About the Series: Each book in TASCHEN s Basic Art series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions " 

Author: Ulrike Becks Malorny

Publisher: Taschen

Released Date: 2016

ISBN: 9783836560566