Abstract
It is easy to miss what the title of James Ensor’s 1888 painting Christ’s Entry into Brussels 1889 (fig. 1) dictates as the subject. The sheer amount of visual information needed to be taken in proving almost too much for a viewer to handle, one’s eyes getting lost in the sea of masked figures and bright colors. However, in the center of the piece, distinguishable only by his golden halo, Jesus stands in the midst of the eager crowd. Above the crowd, a banner proclaims “Vive la Sociale” (Long live the Social) a phrase mirrored by “Vive Jesus, Roi de, Bruxlles” (Long live Jesus, King of Brussels) written near the bottom right. In fact, Ensor’s inspiration for the piece came from a Socialist demonstration that happened in Brussels in 1888. With his depiction of a religious procession that seems to have completely forgotten why it is occurring, Ensor successfully creates a satirical piece poking fun at hypocritical members of the church and the art world as a whole through his use of co-opted religious iconography, spatial organization, and gaudy color choice.
Recommended Citation
Speier, Addison
(2024)
"Of Masks and Men: A Look At Ensor's Christ's Entry into Brussels and the Art Historical Canon,"
Epochs Art History Journal: Vol. 1:
No.
2024, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/epochs/vol1/iss2024/7
