Perplexed Masks | MSK Gent
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Perplexed Masks, 1904

  • etching, Vergé paper
  • 74 x 114 mm
  • Inv. 1998-B-128

Public Domain

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Ensor was familiar with masks from childhood, through his parents' souvenir shop. Later, he himself would also collect them. In comparison with his painterly oeuvre, it is striking that the mask theme is dominant in his graphic work only twice, namely in "Intrigued masks" and "Scandalised masks" (Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, inv. 1998-B-99). The print "Perplexed Masks" is also known under the title "We are maksers), after the colour drawing that first appeared in the magazine La Plume and was reworked in 1901. The print "Perplexed masks" was published in 1906 in the album of the Antwerp artist association L'Art contemporain.

Artist

James Ensor RKD VIAF Wikidata
Ostend 1860 - Ostend 1949
etchersAAT

Title Perplexed Masks
Date 1904
Period 20th century
Medium and support etching AAT
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signatures (names) bottom left: Ensor
signature and title below: James Ensor / les masques intrigués
inscription bottom right: 3/3
inscription on the reverse: 12 / D128 / LD128
watermarks centre: VGZ
Collection print room
Object type etching AAT
Inventory number 1998-B-128
Acquisition credit purchase
Taevernier, Auguste (coll.)
1998
Current whereabouts Work currently not on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1998-B-128
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/4169/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300056485 fantastic art AAT
Keywords Iconclass 31A71 male sex; man Iconclass
31A72 female sex; woman Iconclass
41D221(TOP HAT) head-gear: top hat Iconclass
41D2421 masquerade, masked ball Iconclass
41D283 mask Iconclass
48C8544 pantomime, dumb show, masque Iconclass
School / Style phantasy
satire (artistic device) AAT
Henri Leys, Henri de Braekeleer, James Ensor / Loys Delteil. - Paris : Chez l'Auteur, 1925 (nr. 128)
James Ensor : Catalogue illustré de ses gravures ; Leur description critique et l'inventaire des plaques = Geïllustreerde catalogus van zijn gravures ; Hun kritische beschrijving en inventaris van de platen = Illustrated catalogue of his engravings ; Their critical description and inventary of the plates / Auguste Taevernier. - Ledeberg (Gent) : Erasmus Boekhandel bv Amsterdam, 1973 (nr. 128)
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