James Ensor

This publication accompanies Gladstone's 2021-2022 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.

The publication contains essays by Susan M. Canning, Sabine Taevernier, Herwig Todts, and Xavier Tricot, and includes a series of essays that further explore the themes presented in the exhibition's presentation.