James Ensor - Christ Tormented by Demons

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Christ Tormented by Demons

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James Ensor

Christ Tormented by Demons

Galerie Oscar de Vos

Date 1895

Period 1890-1900, 1890s

Origin Safe

Medium Etching in black on simili-Japan paper

Dimension 17.2 x 23.5 cm (6³/₄ x 9¹/₄ inches)

The passion story of Christ is a common theme in Western visual art. In folk devotion, the story still had a special resonance in Ensor's time because of the annual walk of the cross on Good Friday. Ensor's disconcerting view of the death of Christ has another dimension. Death predominates in the print, with the bystanders as living corpses on the right and menacing devil figures on the left. Satan even grabs the figure of Christ, whose physiognomy resembles that of Ensor himself. Above the cross, a strange angel blows a trumpet. In the background, the artist depicted a gallows field. The etching is largely based on a charcoal drawing from the series “The halos of Christ from 1886 (Brussels, KMKSB, inv. 4193). On the back of this drawing, Ensor labeled the work as follows: “La triste et brisée. Satan et les legions fantastiques tourmentant le crucifié. ”The first part of the title deals with the effect of light, the second with the subject.
Death predominates in this etching: living corpses to the right of the cross, threatening devil figures to the left. Satan even grabs the figure of Christ. Above the cross, a strange angel blows a trumpet.
Christ on the cross, with skeleton embracing the log and demons at its feet or perched on its arms; skeletons at right, devils at left, angel playing trumpet and skeleton flying above.

Date: 1895

Period: 1890-1900, 1890s

Origin: Safe

Medium: Etching in black on simili-Japan paper

Signature: Signed and date in plate lower left: James Ensor / 1895; signed in pencil in margin: James Ensor

Dimension: 17.2 x 23.5 cm (6³/₄ x 9¹/₄ inches)

Provenance: Collection Jacques Ernest Sonderegger.

Literature: - Delteil, L., Le Peintre graveur illustré : H. Les, H. de Braekeleer, J. Ensor, vol. XIX (Paris: 1925), 93 (ill.).
- Croquez, A., L'Œuvre gravé de James Ensor - Catalogue raisonné (Paris: Maurice Le Garrec, 1935), no. 94 (ill.).
- Taevenier, A., Graphic works of James Ensor. Illustrated catalogue of his engravings their critical description and inventary of the plates (Ghent: Erasmus Ledeberg, 1973), 76-77, no. 25 (ill.).
- Elesh, J.N., James Ensor The Complete Graphic Work (The Illustrated Bartsch, vol. 141) (New York: Abaris Books, 1982), 96.
- Taevenier, A., Graphic works of James Ensor (Ledeberg: Erasmus Ledeberg, 1973), 234-235, no. 94 (ill.).
- Cooke, L., A. Taevenier et. al., James Ensor. Etchings from the collection of 'Gemeentekrediet België' exh. cat. (Brussels: Gemeentekrediet van België, 1978), 48, no. 71 (ill.).
- Ollinger-Zinque, G., Ensor: een zelfportret (Brussel: Laconti, 1976), 129, no. 68 (ill.).
- Becker, J. et.al., James Ensor. Visionär der Moderne. Gemälde, Zeichnungen und das druckgraphische Werk aus der Sammlung Gerard Loobuyck (Albstadt: Galerie Albstadt, 1999), 171 (ill.).

Exhibition: Antwerp, Museum Platin-Moretus, inv.no. PK.MP.09507
Ghent, Museum of Fine Arts, inv.no. 1998-B-94
London, British Museum, inv.no. 1972.0916.5

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