James Ensor (1860-1949), after - Salon des Cent – Exposition de l’Oeuvre de James Ensor

This (original reissues of a) poster by James Ensor was designed in 1898 for his exhibition with the Parisian artist circle Salon des Cent, linked to the magazine La Plume. For these exhibitions, artists were given the exceptional opportunity to design their own poster — allowing Ensor to create a distinctly personal and visionary image.

Center stage in the composition is Ensor himself, soberly dressed and somewhat withdrawn, surrounded by a whirling procession of grotesque figures, devils, masks and hybrid beings. Above his head shines a sunlit light, often interpreted as a symbol of artistic inspiration or spiritual uplift. The vivid colors — yellow, red and green — amplify the dramatic and hallucinatory character of the scene.

The poster embodies everything that makes Ensor’s oeuvre so recognizable: the carnivalistic, the satirical and the confrontational. Raised in Ostend among masks and curiosities, he used this visual language to unmask the hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness of bourgeois society. The demonic figures appear both threatening and absurd, causing seriousness and irony to continually merge.

Stylistically, the work sits at the intersection of Symbolism and early Expressionist art, with graceful, flowing lines that also show kinship with Art Nouveau. As a color lithograph, this poster ranks among Ensor’s most important graphic accomplishments and is today regarded as an iconic image within his body of work — a powerful self-portrait amid the chaos he observed and imagined with a keen eye.

Characteristics of the print:
Name: James Ensor
Artwork/poster: Salon des Cent – Exposition de l’Oeuvre de James Ensor (after)
Original year: Based on a work from 1898
Framing: including frame
Dimensions: 50.5 x 37.5 cm
Condition: in reasonable condition, but the mat around the print may contain small age spots (see photos).