James Ensor is apparently not insensitive to the patriotic rhetoric of the 19th century and, like many other painters, will deal with various nationalistic themes. His portrait of Philip II in Hell dates from 1891, the etching from 1893. Ensor clarifies with the subtitle that it concerns an auto-da-fé, a solemn execution of heretics by the Spanish Inquisition. He draws such an event as it was described in the 19th century: heretics in grey linen tunic, with a cardboard pointed hat on their head, are led to the stake. Their garments were decorated with demons and flames.
| Artist |
James Ensor
RKD
VIAF
Wikidata
|
|---|---|
| Title | Auto-da-fe |
| Date | 1893 |
| Period | 19th century |
| Medium and support |
etching
AAT
heightened |
| Signatures, inscriptions, and markings | signature and year below: Ensor II893 |
| signatures (names) bottom right: James Ensor | |
| inscription on the reverse: AT | |
| inscription on the reverse: D85 | |
| Collection | print room |
| Object type | etching AAT |
| Inventory number | 1998-B-87 |
| Acquisition credit |
purchase
Taevernier, Auguste (coll.) 1998 |
| Current whereabouts | Work currently not on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1998-B-87 |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/4117/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus | 300056485 fantastic art AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
11K
devil(s) and demons
Iconclass
11N42 Heresy; 'Heresia' (Ripa) Iconclass 11P443 inquisition Iconclass 21C fire (one of the four elements) Iconclass 31A211 (human) skull Iconclass 31E death of human being Iconclass 31F12 bones (symbol of Death) Iconclass 32B311(SPANIARDS) Europeans: Spaniards Iconclass 43A44 bonfire, fire-works Iconclass 52A4 Imagination; 'Imaginatione' (Ripa) Iconclass 52A44 Fantasy, Caprice; 'Capriccio' (Ripa) Iconclass 61 historical events and situations; historical persons Iconclass 31E2312 violent death ~ fire Iconclass 31E23121 violent death by burning at the stake; pyre Iconclass 41D221(POINTED HAT) head-gear (POINTED HAT) Iconclass 61B2(PHILIP II OF SPAIN) historical person (PHILIP II OF SPAIN) Iconclass |
| School / Style |
phantasy
satire (artistic device) AAT historicism (theory) AAT |
| Henri Leys, Henri de Braekeleer, James Ensor / Loys Delteil. - Paris : Chez l'Auteur, 1925 (nr. 85) |
| 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. 87) |
|
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