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Sick Wretch Warming Himself, 1895

  • etching, paper
  • 155 x 111 mm
  • Inv. 1998-B-91

Public Domain

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Ensor repeatedly used popular life in Ostend as a subject in paintings, drawings and etchings. He was intrigued by life in the harbour town and in his work the artist openly sympathised with the poor, homeless and tramps, who were hidden from the sight of tourists by the local authorities as much as possible. Several prints testify to Ensor's sympathy for these pariahs of society (see inv. 1998-B-91, B-106, B-107 and B-108). Ensor engraved the print "Sick Wretch Warming Himself" after a painting from 1882 (Ostend, Mu.ZEE, destroyed during World War II). There is a pencil drawing of the same image, with the image in mirror image (private collection).

Artist

James Ensor RKD VIAF Wikidata
Ostend 1860 - Ostend 1949
etchersAAT

Title Sick Wretch Warming Himself
Date 1895
Period 19th century
Medium and support etching AAT
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signature and year bottom right: J ∑ Ensor / 1895
inscription at the top: Pouilleux indisposé se chauffant
signature and year bottom right: James Ensor 1895
inscription below: Pouilleux indisposé se chauffant
inscription on the reverse: AT
inscription on the reverse: D89.
Collection print room
Object type etching AAT
Inventory number 1998-B-91
Acquisition credit purchase
Taevernier, Auguste (coll.)
1998
Current whereabouts Work currently not on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1998-B-91
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/4121/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300189808 figures (representations) AAT
300124520 interior views AAT
Keywords Iconclass 31A46 diseases Iconclass
31A71 male sex; man Iconclass
31B6213 looking sideways Iconclass
31D16 old man Iconclass
41A771 container of metal: bucket, can, canister, drum, tin, etc. Iconclass
41B2 hearth and stove Iconclass
41B22 heating stove Iconclass
41D221(CAP) head-gear: cap Iconclass
46A152 'fahrende Leute', vagrants Iconclass
46A81 wandering communities Iconclass
49G2 patient, sick person Iconclass
School / Style realism (artistic form of expression) AAT
Henri Leys, Henri de Braekeleer, James Ensor / Loys Delteil. - Paris : Chez l'Auteur, 1925 (nr. 89)
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. 91)
James Ensor, Occasional Modernist : Ensor's artistic and social ideas and the interpretation of his art / Herwig Todts. - Turnhout : Brepols, 2018 (p. 326 (ill. 92))
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