Ensors slapende moeder en figuren 1880 - 1885

This is James Ensor's pencil sketch of his sleeping mother surrounded by figures. It can be viewed as a product of its time in late 19th century Belgium. Here, we see a tension between intimacy and social observation. The sketch presents a close-up view of his mother, rendered with careful detail, next to a series of more impersonal, quickly sketched figures. These figures suggest a bustling social world, while his mother represents domesticity and perhaps the artist's personal life. Ensor, who was associated with the avant-garde group Les XX, often critiqued social norms and exposed the absurdities of bourgeois life. Looking at the clothing of the figures, researchers could examine fashion plates and social documents from the era. Ultimately, the sketch reminds us that art is not made in a vacuum, but is deeply enmeshed in the personal, social, and cultural circumstances of its time.