Portrait of René Coens | MSK Gent
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Portrait of René Coens, 1937

  • pencils (drawing and writing equipment), coloured pencil, black ink, ink, watercolour, paper
  • 377 x 244 mm
  • Inv. 1943-T

Public Domain

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In this satirical portrait, Ensor paid tribute in his own way to René Coens, director of the Théâtre Royal in Brussels. In the drawing and in the dedication to Coens, Ensor refers to his pantomime ballet "La Gamme d'amour" from 1907, in which the artist himself was responsible for the music, the text, the costumes and the sets. In 1929, this "Marionette Flirtation", as Ensor also called the piece, was published as an album by Editions Un coup de dé, based at the address of the pianist Georges Vriamont at 101 rue de la Reine in Brussels.

Artist

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

Title Portrait of René Coens
Date 1937
Period 20th century
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signature, inscription and year bottom right: <p><span style="font-family:Segoe UI;font-size:9.0pt;">James Ensor Ostende / 1937</span></p>
inscription centre below: <p><span style="font-family:Segoe UI;font-size:9.0pt;">BALLET GAMME / D'AmOUR / MUSIQUE COSTUMES / SCENARIO DECORS / DE / JAMES ENSOR</span></p>
commission centre below: <p><span style="font-family:Segoe UI;font-size:9.0pt;">Pour René Coens / Directeur magnifique du Théatre Royal / et Vive longtemps la Gamme d'Amour</span></p>
watermarks centre: <p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:9.0pt;">Franse lelie</span></p>
Collection print room
Object type pencil drawings AAT
colour pencil drawing
ink drawing
watercolour AAT
Inventory number 1943-T
Acquisition credit gift
Coens (coll.)
1943
Current whereabouts Work currently not on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1943-T
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/1590/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300015637 portraits AAT
300056485 fantastic art AAT
300189808 figures (representations) AAT
Keywords Iconclass 31A71 male sex; man Iconclass
44B191 crown (symbol of sovereignty) Iconclass
48C84 the ballet, ballet performance Iconclass
61B historical persons (portraits and scenes from the life) Iconclass
61B2(RENÉ COENS) historical person (RENÉ COENS) Iconclass
School / Style Expressionist (style) AAT
phantasy
Modernist AAT
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Tekeningen, pastels en aquarellen; Inventaris / Moniek Nagels. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 1988 (p. 18)
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