Three Figures 

Editor: Here we have "Three Figures," a pencil drawing by James Ensor. It's a fairly simple composition but something about the ghostly quality of the figures is unsettling. What's your read on this piece? Curator: That sense of unease is definitely present. Considering Ensor’s time, think about the shifting social landscape. Late 19th-century anxieties surrounding industrialization, class division, and changing roles. Do these figures appear celebratory, unified, or something else? Editor: Definitely not celebratory. They feel quite isolated, even though they're grouped together. The one on the right even seems to be gesturing as though he's pushing someone away. Curator: Exactly. Now consider where these figures might exist: within the public imagination, the art world, or everyday social circles. Is it possible that Ensor reflects on the changing societal norms and tensions of his era in his artworks? What message might he send by obscuring these forms? Editor: Perhaps it’s a reflection on how individuals were feeling lost or struggling to maintain their identities amidst broader social shifts, masked by tradition or class expectations, maybe? The drawing’s sketchiness conveys instability. Curator: Precisely. Think of art’s evolving function. Earlier art often aimed to uplift, commemorate events, or display beauty. With shifts towards modernism, did artists begin to challenge conventional aesthetics and venture into societal commentary? Does this suggest a democratizing of the art world or increased accessibility to critique social systems? Editor: It makes you think about what art's role in society should be and who gets to decide that. It is much more than aesthetic, and should convey stories, history. I will look into social factors that influence Ensor and his work!