Composition is very similar to L'Intrigue by Ensor in collection of Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, which measures 35 1/2' x 59' and is dated 1890.

The Intrigue, 1911

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On View in Gallery 371expand_more

James Ensor, along with Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch, is considered a pioneer of Expressionism. But as a creator of fantastic and bizarre images such as The Intrigue, Ensor reveals his kinship to old masters of the bizarre such as Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Here, the artist depicted his sister, Mariette in blue hair and green cape, with her top-hatted fiancé, Tan Hée Tseu, a Chinese art dealer from Berlin. The couple's engagement had caused a scandal in the home town of the Ensor family, and the artist, in retaliation, depicts the town gossips who, disguised in their masks, have come out to point, stare, and laugh at the couple.

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James Ensor, The Intrigue (#943)
Details
Title
The Intrigue
Artist Life
1860-1949
Role
Artist
Accession Number
70.38
Catalogue Raisonne
Tricot, 446.
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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Composition is very similar to L'Intrigue by Ensor in collection of Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, which measures 35 1/2' x 59' and is dated 1890.