The Terrible Archer | MSK Gent
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The Terrible Archer, 1888

  • etching, paper
  • 177 x 238 mm
  • Inv. 1998-B-36

Public Domain

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Apart from a biblical context, the motif of the dream only appeared more frequently in the visual arts from the early Romantic period onwards. Artists such as Füssli, Goya and also Ensor's contemporary Max Klinger frequently dealt with the theme. In the print "The Terrible Archer", a sleeping man is threatened in a nightmare by terrifying creatures. The threat is also reflected in the physiognomy of the man lying down: one eye hangs out of his eye socket, his arms have been turned into crab claws.

Artist

James Ensor RKD VIAF Wikidata
Ostend 1860 - Ostend 1949
etchersAAT

Title The Terrible Archer
Date 1888
Period 19th century
Medium and support etching AAT
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signatures (names) bottom right: Ensor
signature and year bottom right: James Ensor 1888
title bottom right: L'archer terrible
inscription on the reverse: AT
inscription on the reverse: D 36
Collection print room
Object type etching AAT
Inventory number 1998-B-36
Acquisition credit purchase
Taevernier, Auguste (coll.)
1998
Current whereabouts Work currently not on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1998-B-36
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/4042/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300056485 fantastic art AAT
Keywords Iconclass 25F9 mis-shapen animals; monsters Iconclass
31A236 lying figure Iconclass
31A4528 monsters ~ flying mammals Iconclass
31A71 male sex; man Iconclass
31B1 sleeping; unconsciousness Iconclass
31B11 sleeping in bed Iconclass
31B3 dream Iconclass
31D16 old man Iconclass
33B14 threatening behaviour, challenging Iconclass
43C421 shooting with bow and arrow, archery (~ games of skill) Iconclass
45C15(ARROW) archer's weapons: arrow Iconclass
45C15(BOW AND ARROW) archer's weapons: bow and arrow Iconclass
45C15(BOW) archer's weapons: bow Iconclass
52A4 Imagination; 'Imaginatione' (Ripa) Iconclass
52A44 Fantasy, Caprice; 'Capriccio' (Ripa) Iconclass
56DD1 Fear, Dread; 'Paura', 'Timidita o Timore', 'Timore' (Ripa) Iconclass
School / Style phantasy
satire (artistic device) AAT
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. 36)
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