Agenda: to see and to do, wellness, james ensor and nature and parks in Ostend

Welcome home! Ensor art from the KBC collection

The third temporary exhibition at the James Ensor house since its official reopening in July 2020 will put the KBC Bank's Ensor collection in the spotlight. KBC Bank owns a rich art collection in which the oeuvre of James Ensor occupies a prominent place. It comprises an almost complete collection of prints including etchings, drypoints and lithographs, as well as oil paintings and drawings such as an interesting self-portrait from 1883, based on a photograph. The paintings in the collection are very diverse and cover different periods in the artist's career. There is a self-portrait from 1878, a still life from 1880, a view of the Ostend market from 1882, a typical Ensorian work from 1905, called Pierrot and Skeletons, and finally, a painting from 1912 with the poetic title Faded Perfume, Withered flowers. For this work Ensor found inspiration in a print by the French artist Jean-François Janinet (1752-1814) after a painting by the Swedish painter Niclas Lafrensen (1737-1807), entitled L'Aveu difficile (The difficult confession). The collection itself illustrates in a striking way the varied styles and different art techniques mastered by the Ostend artist. The exhibition will take place from April 21st to August 29th.