Vuurwerkboeket 1929

James Ensor created this drawing, Vuurwerkboeket, using delicate pastel strokes, predominantly in shades of orange, yellow, and light blue, capturing an almost dreamlike vision. I can imagine Ensor delicately layering these colours, one over the other, slowly coaxing the image into being, almost like a waking dream. The figure emerges from the paper in flowing lines that evoke a sense of movement and ethereality, like fleeting fireworks in the night sky. Look closely, and you can see the rhythmic, almost dance-like quality in the lines; each stroke feels like a deliberate act of attention. The way Ensor plays with light and shadow, using the bare paper to amplify the luminosity of the pastels, echoes the work of other visionary artists of his time. There's a sense of artists like Ensor being in conversation across time, each offering their own insights and perspectives on what it means to see, to feel, and to be present in the world. It is in these moments of creative exchange that art continues to evolve.