The Deadly Sins - Original Etching by James Ensor - 1904

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James Ensor
The Deadly Sins - Original Etching by James Ensor - 1904
1904

About the Item

Deadly Sins is an original etching and drypoint on the Japanese paper, realized by James Ensor in 1904, signed, dated and titled: "Les Péchés capitaux dominés par la Mort", Deadly Sins Dominated by Death, inscribed: "to Michel Brunelmans". In good conditions, following Taevernier this engraving is one of the series in the album "The Deadly Sins", which included eight things by Ensor and a preface by Eugène Demolder. This engraving was the frontispiece of the album and no states are known to exist. This etching is Representing, an open-winged skeleton among crowd with masques, all in strange feeling of horror andbeing lost in the near shadow of death. Skeleton and mask are the most important topic of Ensor artworks, he was fascinated by the dark and silenced skeleton and skulls and could express his art through observation of many skeletons in his studio, here this original etching is one of the precious results of this observation and deepening in the mysterious world of the dead. Ref. Taevernier, p. 311 no. 126. James Ensor (1860-1949), is a Belgian painter and printmaker, an important influence on Expressionism and Surrealism. Ensor's early works, such as Russian Music (1881) and The Drunkards (1883), depict realistic scenes in a somber style, his palette subsequently brightened and he favored increasingly bizarre subject matter. Such paintings as The Scandalized Masks (1883) and Skeletons Fighting over a Hanged Man (1891) feature figures in grotesque masks inspired by the ones sold in his mother's gift shop for Ostend's annual Carnival. Subjects such as carnivals, masks, puppetry, skeletons, and fantastic allegories are dominant in Ensor's mature work. Ensor dressed skeletons up in his studio and arranged them in colorful, enigmatic tableaux on the canvas, and used masks as a theatrical aspect in his still lifes. Attracted by masks' plastic forms, bright colors, and potential for psychological impact, he created a format in which he could paint with complete freedom. Ensor was a prolific and accomplished printmaker. He created 133 etchings and drypoints over the course of his career, with 86 of them made between 1886 and 1891 during the height of Ensor's most creative period. Ensor himself recognized that the prints were a key part of his artistic legacy, stating in a letter to Albert Croquez in 1934: "Yes, my intention is to go on working for a long time yet so that generations to come may hear me. My intention is to survive, and I think of the solid copper plate, the unalterable ink, easy reproduction, faithful prints, and I adopt etching as a means of expression

Creator:
James Ensor (1860 - 1949, Belgian)
Creation Year:
1904
Dimensions:
Height: 3.59 in (9.1 cm)Width: 5.52 in (14 cm)Depth: 0.08 in (2 mm)
Medium:
Etching
Movement & Style:
Surrealist
Period:
1900-1909
Condition:
Insurance may be requested by customers as additional service, contact us for more information.
Gallery Location:
Roma, IT
Reference Number:
Seller: M-1063441stDibs: LU65036101362