ENSORIANA ou la hantise du masque
acrylic painting on canvas H.90 x W.120
ENSORIANA ou l’intrigue demasquée
James Ensor is generally recognized as the most important innovator of modern art in Belgium.
His mother ran a shop in Ostend, with souvenirs, shells, chinoiseries and especially carnival masks, items that influenced Ensor ’s imagination and in which the masks became a recurring motif throughout his oeuvre and, therefore , probably his best-known painting ‘ l’intrigue ‘ . In 1888 he painted a self-portrait with a flower hat, now kept in the collection of the municipal museum of the city of Ostend. In this painting he was inspired by the self-portrait of P.P.Rubens , in which he took the same pose as the Flemish master.
Retsin made this painting, entitled “ Ensoriana ou l’intrigue démasquée “, in which he refers to both the well-known self-portrait with a flower hat and the title of Ensor’s well-known work ‘ l’intrigue ‘. In his painting there is a quote in graffiti at the top left that is intended to emphasize Ensor ’s spirit once again.
“ Ensoriana ou la hantise du masque “