The winter landscape "The Skaters" was probably inspired by the Leopold Park near the home of Ensor's friend Ernest Rousseau in Brussels. On the right, one recognises the imposing acacia that still grows in the park. The structures on the right and the vista in the distance are imaginary and may have been borrowed from another environment. To achieve the effect of a dark winter sky, Ensor had the copper plate impregnated with sulphuric acid. The funny silhouettes of the skating figures are reminiscent of the engraving "The Skaters on Lake Ladoga" by Gustave Doré, depicted in the Histoire dramatique, pittoresque et caricaturale de la Sainte Russie (Paris, 1854). The 2nd state of the print "The Skaters" was printed in 1906 in the album of the Antwerp artist association L’Art contemporain.
| Artist |
James Ensor
RKD
VIAF
Wikidata
|
|---|---|
| Title | The Skaters |
| Date | 1889 |
| Period | 19th century |
| Medium and support | etching AAT |
| Signatures, inscriptions, and markings | signature and year bottom right: Ensor 1889 |
| inscription on the reverse: AT | |
| inscription on the reverse: D. 65 | |
| Collection | print room |
| Object type | etching AAT |
| Inventory number | 1998-B-65 |
| Acquisition credit |
purchase
Taevernier, Auguste (coll.) 1998 |
| Current whereabouts | Work currently not on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1998-B-65 |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/4083/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus |
300189808
figures (representations)
AAT
300056485 fantastic art AAT 300015636 landscapes AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
23D41
winter, 'Hyems'; 'Inverno' (Ripa)
Iconclass
25G3 trees Iconclass 26D frost, freezing weather Iconclass 26D4 ice ~ freezing weather Iconclass 31A2731 falling Iconclass 31A71 male sex; man Iconclass 31A72 female sex; woman Iconclass 43C244 skates (winter sports) Iconclass |
| School / Style |
phantasy
satire (artistic device) AAT |
| Henri Leys, Henri de Braekeleer, James Ensor / Loys Delteil. - Paris : Chez l'Auteur, 1925 (nr. 65) |
| 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. 65) |
|
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