The Oyster Eater 1882

James Ensor made this informal portrait in oil on canvas. It depicts a woman seated at a table consuming oysters in a well-appointed, upper-class interior. Oysters are a culturally significant symbol of luxury and decadence. By the late 19th century, dining out in restaurants and oyster bars had become a popular leisure activity for the bourgeoisie. The table in the painting is laden with bottles, glasses, and other accoutrements that suggest a degree of material excess. The woman's actions reflect the growth of consumerism and the increasing availability of luxury goods and services to the middle classes in Belgium at this time. Paintings such as this can be better understood with reference to a wide range of social and cultural historical sources, including restaurant guides, etiquette manuals, and sociological studies of leisure.