James Ensor

James Ensor's painting of 1887, The Temptation of St Anthony, now in MoMA's collection, established him as one of the boldest painters of his contemporaries. Ensor (1860-1949) was a major figure in the Belgian avant-garde of the late 19th century and an important precursor to the development of Expressionism in the early 20th, yet his work is far too little seen. This striking book, published to accompany an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, NewYork, gives Ensor the attention he so greatly deserves. Approximately ninety paintings, prints and drawings are featured, creating a complete picture of the artist's daring, experimental oeuvre. Essays examine Ensor's modernity, his innovative and allegorical approach to light, his prominent use of satire, his deep interest in carnival and performance, and finally his own self-fashioning, masking and roleplaying. As the most comprehensive volume on the artist available in English, this remarkable volume reveals Ensor as a socially engaged and self-critical artist involved with the issues of his times and contemporary debates on the very nature of modernism.