Pierrot and Skeleton in a Yellow Robe | MSK Gent
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Pierrot and Skeleton in a Yellow Robe, 1893

  • oil paint, panel
  • 38 x 48 cm
  • Inv. 2007-B

Public Domain

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In Pierrot and Skeleton in a Yellow Robe Ensor managed to combine his interest for the still life and his predilection for travesty in a rather original manner. The still life-like setting is transgressed. As a result, the painting takes on a fantastic character and ‘dead objects’ function like living organisms. From a stylistic point of view this work is also very characteristic of Ensor. During the 1890s Ensor liked to paint on smaller canvases. In these more intimate works the graphic element is more obvious, as is the case in this painting. The colours are clear and fresh, thus tempering the subject’s morbid dimension to some extent, in favour of the grotesque and the fantastic. In this work imagination, the clear use of colour and Ensor’s technical potential all come together marvellously.

Artist

James Ensor RKD VIAF Wikidata
Ostend 1860 - Ostend 1949
painters (artists)AAT

Title Pierrot and Skeleton in a Yellow Robe
Date 1893
Period 19th century
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signature and year bottom left: Ensor / 1893
Collection paintings AAT
Object type oil paintings (visual works) AAT
Inventory number 2007-B
Acquisition credit long-term loan
Vlaamse Gemeenschap
Brussels
2007
Current whereabouts Work on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/2007-B
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/124/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300056485 fantastic art AAT
300124520 interior views AAT
Keywords Iconclass 31A211 (human) skull Iconclass
31F11 death's head, skull (symbol of Death) Iconclass
41C38 laid table as still life Iconclass
41D221(POINTED HAT) head-gear (POINTED HAT) Iconclass
41D2421 masquerade, masked ball Iconclass
41D283 mask Iconclass
43A122 Carnival, Shrovetide (non-liturgical celebration) Iconclass
43A373 clown Iconclass
48C85431(COLUMBINE) types in 'commedia dell'arte' (COLUMBINE) Iconclass
48C85431(PIERROT) types in 'commedia dell'arte': Pierrot Iconclass
53C22 Menace, Intimidation; 'Minaccie' (Ripa) Iconclass
61B2(THÉO HANNON) historical person (THÉO HANNON) Iconclass
83(HANNON, Pierrot macabre) (scenes from) specific works of literature (HANNON, Pierrot macabre) Iconclass
School / Style phantasy
satire (artistic device) AAT
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. II, p. 151 (ill.))
James Ensor : Leven en werk ; Oeuvrecatalogus van de schilderijen / Xavier Tricot. - Brussel : Mercatorfonds, 2009 (p. 320, cat. 364 (ill.))
James Ensor : The Complete Paintings / Xavier Tricot. - Ostfildern : Hatje Cantz, 2009 (p. 320, cat. 364 (ill.))
Belgische schone : Ensor tot Magritte ; Hoogtepunten uit de verzameling van het Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent (tentoonstelling Laren, Singer Laren, 16.06 - 30.08.2015) / Johan De Smet, Jan Rudolph De Lorm. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2015 ; Laren : Singer Laren, 2015 ; Heule : Uitgeverij Snoeck, 2015 (cat. 17 (ill. p. 36))
Unheimlich : Innenräume von Edvard Munch bis Max Beckmann = The Uncanny Home : Interiors from Edvard Munch to Max Beckmann (Ausstellung Bonn, Kunstmuseum Bonn, 20.10.2016 -29.01.2017) / Volker Adolphs, Johannes Binotto, Irene Horn, Felix Krämer. - München : Hirmer Verlag, 2016 (p. 160)
Henry van de Velde : Der Maler im Kreis der Impressionisten und Neoimpressionisten ; Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Druckgrafik und Skulpturen (Ausstellung Jena, Kunstsammlung Jena, 01.09 - 24.11.2013) / Erik Stephan, Gilles Genty, Christophe Duvivier, Carina Schäfer. - Jena : Kunstsammlung Jena, 2013
Stilleven : Het Nederlandse en Belgische stilleven vanaf 1870 (tentoonstelling Gouda, Museum Gouda, 15.11.2019 - 10.05.2020) / Saskia De Bodt, Ingmar Reesing, Olivia Romijn, Hans Vogels. - Zwolle : WBOOKS, 2019 ; Gouda : Museum Gouda, 2019 (p. 40)
James Ensor : Maestro ; enscenering en spektakel in Ensors oeuvre / Xavier Tricot. - Tielt : Lannoo Uitgeverij, 2024 (p.50-51)
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