James Ensor
James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait
November 12, 2021 — January 15, 2022
New York: 64th Street
Gladstone Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of historic works by Belgian artist James Ensor, a monumental figure in the late 19th-century Belgian avant-garde and a singular influence in the development of Expressionism. Curated by Sabine Taevernier, this show brings together paintings, drawings, and etchings, made between 1888 and 1896, alongside one of the most prolific and significant periods of creation during Ensor’s lifetime. Spanning a diverse collection of subjects and figures, the works in this exhibition demonstrate the artist’s perceptive eye in capturing both his internal strife and the external variables that impacted him and the artists, friends, and family he was surrounded by.

Installation
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.
Installation view: James Ensor. An Intimate Portrait at Gladstone 64, New York, November 12, 2021 - January 15, 2022
Curated by Sabine Taevernier.








Work
James Ensor
Surly countenance (Figure revêche), 1890
Oil on panel
9 5⁄8 x 7 1⁄2 (24.5 x 19 cm)
12 1⁄2 x 10 3⁄8 x 1 3⁄8 inches (31.9 x 26.4 x 3.6 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
The Grotesque Singers (Les chanteurs grotesques), 1891
Oil on panel
6 3⁄8 x 8 1⁄4 (16 x 21 cm)
9 1⁄2 x 11 3⁄4 x 1 1⁄8 inches (24.2 x 29.8 x 3 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Portrait of the artist -’Big head’ (Portrait de l’artiste, dit ‘Grosse tête’), 1879
Oil on panel
6 3⁄4 x 5 1⁄8 (17 x 13 cm)
9 3⁄4 x 8 1⁄4 x 1 inches (24.8 x 20.9 x 2.4 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
The Skeleton in the Mirror (Le miroir au squelette), 1890
Black chalk on paper
11 5⁄8 x 8 1⁄2 inches (29.5 x 21.5 cm)
17 3⁄8 x 13 3⁄8 x 0 3⁄4 inches (44.2 x 34 x 2 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Skeleton Musicians (Squelettes musiciens), 1888
Black and brown chalk on prepared panel
8 1⁄4 x 6 3⁄8 inches (21 x 16 cm)
12 5⁄8 x 10 1⁄2 x 1 5⁄8 (32.1 x 26.8 x 4 cm) framed
Signed recto
James Ensor
Mr. and Mrs. Rousseau speaking with Sophie Yoteko (M. et Mme. Rousseau parlant avec Sophie Yoteko), 1892
Oil on panel
4 3⁄4 x 6 3⁄8 inches (12 x 16 cm)
17 3⁄4 x 19 1⁄4 x 3 3⁄8 inches (45 x 49 x 8.5 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Mask, undated
Oil on prepared wood
7 1⁄2 x 5 3⁄4 x 3 1⁄8 inches (19 x 14.5 x 8 cm)
James Ensor
Mask, undated
Oil on prepared wood, with eyebrows and moustache hairs
7 x 5 x 2 inches (17.5 x 12.5 x 5 cm)
James Ensor
Mask, undated
Gouache and Indian ink on prepared wood, with eyebrows and moustache hairs
3 x 2 x 1 5⁄8 inches (6.5 x 5 x 4 cm)
James Ensor
Mask, undated
Gouache on wood paste
2 3⁄4 x 2 3⁄4 x 1 5⁄8 inches (7 x 7 x 4 cm)
James Ensor
Peculiar insects (Insectes singuliers), 1888
Dry-point, state 3⁄5
4 1⁄2 x 6 1⁄8 inches (11.4 x 15.4 cm)
18 3⁄4 x 23 5⁄8 x 1 1⁄8 inches (47.5 x 60 x 2.8 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Small bizarre figures (Petites figures bizarres), 1888
Etching and dry point, state 2⁄2
5 1⁄8 x 3 3⁄4 inches (13.1 x 9.4 cm)
23 5⁄8 x 18 3⁄4 x 1 inches (60 x 47.5 x 2.6 cm) framed
James Ensor
My skeletonized portrait (Mon portrait squelettisé), 1889
Etching and dry point, state 3⁄3
4 5⁄8 x 3 inches (11.6 x 7.5 cm)
23 5⁄8 x 18 3⁄4 x 1 inches (60 x 47.5 x 2.6 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
The Baths of Ostend (Les bains d’Ostende), 1891⁄1899
Etching heightened with watercolor and pen in ink, state 2⁄2
8 3⁄8 x 10 1⁄2 inches (21.3 x 26.8 cm)
18 3⁄4 x 23 5⁄8 x 1 inches (47.5 x 60 x 2.6 cm) framed
Signed with title recto
James Ensor
Plague above, Plague below, Plague all around (Peste dessous, Peste dessus, Peste partout), 1904
Etching heightened with watercolor and colored crayons, no states
7 1⁄2 x 11 1⁄2 inches (19.2 x 29.1 cm)
18 3⁄4 x 23 5⁄8 x 1 inches (47.5 x 60 x 2.6 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Portrait of the artist - ‘Little head’ (Portrait de l’artiste,dit ‘Petite tête’), 1879
Oil on panel
6 3⁄4 x 5 1⁄8 inches (17 x 13 cm)
11 1⁄8 x 8 7⁄8 x 1 1⁄8 inches (28.3 x 22.7 x 3 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
The Auto-da-fé, Philip II in Hell (L’Autodafé, Philippe II aux Enfers), 1891
Oil on panel
4 3⁄8 x 6 inches (11 x 15 cm)
11 3⁄4 x 13 3⁄8 x 1 5⁄8 inches (30 x 34 x 4 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Christ in Hell (Le Christ aux Enfers), 1891
Black chalk on paper
8 5⁄8 x 11 1⁄2 inches (22 x 29 cm)
19 1⁄2 x 22 x 1 3⁄4 inches (49.5 x 56 x 4.5 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Sloth (La paresse), 1888
Crayon, black and white chalk on paper
8 5⁄8 x 11 1⁄2 inches (22 x 29 cm)
19 1⁄4 x 22 5⁄8 x 1 3⁄4 inches (49 x 57.5 x 4.5 cm) framed
Signed with title recto
James Ensor
Temptation of Saint Anthony – Monsters (La Tentation de Saint Antoine – Monstres), 1890
Black and red chalk on prepared panel
6 3⁄8 x 8 1⁄4 inches (16 x 21 cm)
10 1⁄4 x 12 1⁄4 x 1 5⁄8 inches (26 x 31 x 4 cm) framed
Signed recto
James Ensor
Duel of the Masks (Duel de masques), c. 1892
Oil on canvas
15 1⁄8 x 23 5⁄8 inches (38.5 x 60 cm)
19 x 27 1⁄2 x 1 1⁄8 inches (48.5 x 70 x 3 cm) framed
Signed and dated recto
James Ensor
Fight of the Down and Outs (Le Combat des pouilleux), 1887
Black chalk on two sheets of paper, laid down on cardboard
13 5⁄8 x 8 7⁄8 inches (34.5 x 22.5 cm)
19 3⁄4 x 15 x 1 1⁄2 inches (50.2 x 38.1 x 3.8 cm) framed
Signed recto
James Ensor
Baptism of the Masks (Baptême des masques), 1891
Oil on panel
7 1⁄2 x 9 5⁄8 inches (19 x 24.5 cm)
14 1⁄8 x 16 3⁄8 x 1⁄2 inches (35.9 x 41.6 x 1.3 cm) framed
Signed and date recto
James Ensor
The Tell-Tale Heart (Le coeur révélateur), 1884-1886
Pencil and black chalk on paper
8 1⁄4 x 11 1⁄2 inches (21 x 29 cm)
13 3⁄4 x 15 3⁄4 x 7⁄8 inches (34.9 x 40 x 2.2 cm) framed
James Ensor
The Devil’s Mirror (Le Miroir au diable), 1888
Pencil and charcoal on paper laid down on cardboard
8 3⁄4 x 7 inches (22.3 x 17.5 cm)
13 1⁄2 x 11 5⁄8 x 0 7⁄8 inches (34.3 x 29.5 x 2.4 cm) framed
James Ensor
Woman in profile. Mariette Rousseau (Profil de femme. Mariette Rousseau), 1890
Black chalk on paper
5 x 8 7⁄8 inches (12.5 x 22.5 cm)
25 5⁄8 x 29 1⁄2 x 0 3⁄4 inches (65 x 75 x 2 cm) framed
Signed and dated lower right Ensor 90
James Ensor
The Correspondent (La correspondante), 1883
Black chalk on paper
8 1⁄4 x 11 1⁄2 inches (21 x 29 cm)
25 5⁄8 x 29 1⁄2 x 0 3⁄4 inches (65 x 75 x 2 cm) framed
Signed and dated lower left J. Ensor 1883
James Ensor
Les Pêches, 1890
Oil on panel
7 3⁄8 x 9 1⁄4 inches (18.7 x 23.5 cm)
13 3⁄8 x 15 1⁄4 x 2 inches (34 x 38.7 x 5.1 cm) framed
James Ensor
Mon Portrait 1883, 1883
Black chalk on paper
8 7⁄8 x 6 5⁄8 inches (22.5 x 17 cm)
12 5⁄8 x 10 5⁄8 x 1 5⁄8 inches (32.1 x 26.8 x 4 cm) framed
Signed, dated and titled recto
James Ensor
La Vengeance de Hop Frog, 1898
Etching with drypoint on paper
9 7⁄8 x 14 1⁄8 inches (25.1 x 35.9 cm)
21 x 16 1⁄8 x 1⁄8 inches (53.5 x 41 x 2.1 cm) framed
Signed and dated lower right 'James Ensor 1898'
Dedicated lover right 'Sympathie aux marionnettes'






























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