Ensor qualified this print as the most classical of his compositions. The figures are almost all derived from Michelangelo's ceiling paintings in the Sistine Chapel and his sculpture "The Risen Christ" in the Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. An extensive series of articles on Michelangelo appeared in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts in 1876. Ensor probably knew the figure of Christ from that issue, and the sculpture is also depicted in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts. The four other protagonists in the print are all characters from the Sistine Chapel, with, from left to right, the Pharisee with the top hat, the prophet Ezekiel (the figure with his cloak folded over his head), the prophet Isaiah and one of the so-called 'ignudi', representations of naked idealised men. The male and female heads on the left also show a strong affinity with Michelangelo's figures in the Sistine Chapel.
| Artist |
James Ensor
RKD
VIAF
Wikidata
|
|---|---|
|
Michelangelo
RKD
|
|
| Title | Caesar's Denarius |
| Date | 1888 |
| Period | 19th century |
| Medium and support | etching AAT |
| Collection | print room |
| Object type |
etching
AAT
reproductive prints AAT |
| Inventory number | 1998-B-62 |
| Acquisition credit |
purchase
Taevernier, Auguste (coll.) 1998 |
| Current whereabouts | Work currently not on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1998-B-62 |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/4079/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus | 300055874 religious symbolism AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
11D
Christ
Iconclass
12A43 the Temple (in general) ~ Jewish religion Iconclass 12A521 high priest ~ hierarchy of priests Iconclass 25D13(SILVER) minerals and metals: silver Iconclass 31A71 male sex; man Iconclass 31A72 female sex; woman Iconclass 31D120 Youth, Adolescence, 'Iuventus'; 'Adolescenza', 'Gioventu' (Ripa) Iconclass 31D13 adolescent, young woman, maiden Iconclass 31D14 adult man Iconclass 41D221(TOP HAT) head-gear: top hat Iconclass 44D2 taxes and financial administration Iconclass 44D21 tax collection Iconclass 44D211 tax payment Iconclass 44D23 financial administration ~ taxes Iconclass 46A1266 Julius Caesar (one of the nine worthies) Iconclass 46B31 money Iconclass 46B311 coin Iconclass 48(+431) art (+ copy, copying ~ work of art) Iconclass 61B2(MICHELANGELO) historical person (MICHELANGELO) Iconclass 61F(SIXTINE CHAPEL) names of historical buildings, sites, streets, etc. (SIXTINE CHAPEL) Iconclass 73 New Testament Iconclass 73C72473 Christ (in the temple) in debate with Pharisees about the tribute to Caesar (Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26) Iconclass |
| School / Style |
phantasy
satire (artistic device) AAT historicism (theory) AAT |
| Henri Leys, Henri de Braekeleer, James Ensor / Loys Delteil. - Paris : Chez l'Auteur, 1925 (nr. 62) |
| 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. 62) |
| James Ensor by Luc Tuymans (Exhibition London, Royal Academy of Arts, 29.10.2016 - 29.02.2017) / Luc Tuymans, Adrian Locke, Herwig Todts, Gerrit Vermeiren, Xavier Tricot, Anna Testar, Beatrice Gullström, Alison Hissey, Carola Krueger. - London : Royal Academy of Arts, 2016 (p. 27 (ill. 9)) |
| James Ensor, Occasional Modernist : Ensor's artistic and social ideas and the interpretation of his art / Herwig Todts. - Turnhout : Brepols, 2018 (p. 356 (ill. 145)) |
|
Do you have any suggestions, questions or information about this work? Write us, collectie.msk@stad.gent |