Edited by Anna Swinbourne. With contributions by Susan M. Canning, Jane Panetta, Michel Draguet, Robert Hoozee, Laurence Madeline, and Herwig Todts James Ensor was a major figure in the Belgian avant-garde of the late nineteenth century and an important precursor to Expressionism, yet his work is far too little seen. This remarkable book, published to accompany an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, is the most comprehensive volume on Ensor in English. Approximately ninety paintings, prints, and drawings are featured, creating a complete picture of the artist's daring, experimental oeuvre. 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 role playing are examined in a handful of essays. 208 pp.; 162 illus.
