Girl with Masks (Communion), James Ensor
James Ensor
Girl with Masks (Communion)
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James Ensor

Girl with Masks (Communion), 1921


Dimensions
57.2 x 52.5 cm
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Inventory Number
SG 465
Acquisition
Acquired in 1930
Status
On display, 1st upper level, Modern Art, room 6

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About the Work

This painting by the Belgian artist James Ensor has no storyline and leaves many questions unanswered. What is on the girl’s mind? Is she holding a torn flower wreath in her hands? The alternative title, ‘Communion’ – which was probably not chosen by Ensor himself – leads us to assume that the scene shows the girl at her first communion. Yet the festive mood of the Christian celebration is contradicted by her rigid gaze and the grotesque masks. Her mouth is open in a silent scream.

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  • Focus on art history
    01:43

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Last update

15.11.2024