Vaas en voeten 1880 - 1885

Curator: Here we have James Ensor’s drawing, "Vaas en voeten", which roughly translates to Vase and Feet, created sometime between 1880 and 1885. It’s rendered in pencil on paper. Editor: Immediately striking is the contrast – almost violent hatching around the ornate vase of flowers, juxtaposed with the softer, rounder shapes of the…are those feet? It’s all so immediate. Curator: Yes, Ensor frequently employed floral motifs, though these are quite somber compared to some of his later, more vibrant works. The vase itself acts as a kind of pillar, supporting a symbol of beauty, life. And those feet – are they resting? Or displayed? Editor: The medium – pencil – really speaks to immediacy and process. I can almost feel Ensor wrestling with the composition, adding layers of shadow. This wasn't about refined perfection, but raw expression, about exploring volume and space, the interplay between objects. And feet...it reminds me of Courbet. Curator: You know, feet have held a significant place in art and symbolism for millennia. Think of the act of washing feet, a symbol of humility and service. Or consider how often feet are symbols of travel and journeys, sometimes reluctant, sometimes full of anticipation. Editor: Ensor pushes us away from that grand symbolism, stripping the scene of narrative weight, allowing the drawing to float between genres: still life, interior, nude. Are we supposed to make these connections? Curator: I believe Ensor presents them to invite our own, quite freely, and there’s little rigidity in how we engage with them. We find comfort, as we search for those hidden pathways. Editor: It’s easy to forget that this was the end of the 19th Century. The work speaks volumes about artistic and social movements – both impressionism and nascent forms of expressionism at play with recognizable imagery as it starts to deconstruct. This piece embodies art searching for its function. Curator: A searching and sometimes uncomfortable drawing. Perhaps that's where its power lies, in the discomfort. Editor: I agree, and the work pushes viewers toward its unsettling perspective in every pencil stroke and sketched form.