The Skaters, 1889

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.