James Ensor Rank
About James Ensor
The works of Belgian painter and printmaker James Sidney Edouard Ensor had a significant impact on the art forms of expressionism and surrealism.
Early Life
Being uninterested in academic studies, Ensor dropped out of school at fifteen to study art with two local painters. He studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels from 1877 to 1880.
He started creating a revolutionary style that expressed his own perspective on contemporary life. He debuted his art in an exhibition in 1881.
Painting Career
By age twenty, Ensor was recognized as a master. After the Brussels Salon rejected Ensor's artwork in 1883, he joined a collective of forward-thinking artists. His artwork was consistently sardonic and mocking, exhibiting a grotesque sort of realism as in “Scandalized Masks” (1883).
In 1884, Ensor displayed six pieces. Critics were outraged, condemning works, such as “Skeletons Fighting over the Body of a Hanged Man” (1891).
Ensor's art did not significantly change after 1900 although criticisms got worse. He settled into a reclusive lifestyle and was rumored to be dead because he was rarely seen in public.
Recognition
Belgium awarded him a barony after the public display of his work, “Entry of Christ into Brussels”, in 1929.
James Ensor Rank
James Ensor photo gallery
F.A.Q. about James Ensor
When is his birthday?
James Ensor's birthday is on April 13, 1860.
In how many days is his birthday?
James' birthday is in 360 days
How old was James when he died?
He was 89 years old.
When did he die?
He died in November 19, 1949.
How old would he be today?
James Ensor would be 164 years old if he was alive today.
Where was James from?
He was born in Ostend (Belgium).