In this performance, the participants in a merry carnival procession undergo a frightening transformation as they climb the mountain. As Ensor noted on the preparatory drawing (Royal Library Albert I, Print Room, Brussels), they turn into a "hellish militia on their way to the Sabbath". It is in this print that Ensor first introduces the grotesque masked creatures.
| Artist | James EnsorRKDVIAFWikidata |
|---|---|
| Title | The Infernal Cortege |
| Date | ca. 1887 |
| Period | 19th century |
| Medium and support | etchingAAT heightened |
| Signatures, inscriptions, and markings | signature and year bottom left: Ensor 86 |
| signatures (names) bottom right: James Ensor | |
| inscription on the reverse: 9 / Diables se revelant aux [...] / 33 / D10 | |
| Collection | print room |
| Object type | etching AAT |
| Inventory number | 1998-B-10-1 |
| Acquisition credit | purchase Taevernier, Auguste (coll.) 1998 |
| Current whereabouts | Work currently not on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1998-B-10-1 |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/4002/manifest.json |
