The Intrigue 1911

James Ensor made this painting, called 'The Intrigue,' with oil on canvas, and looking at the surface you get a real sense of artmaking as a process. The colours are quite muted, almost pastel, but the red lipstick is what really pops. It is like a punch of drama against the almost caricatured faces of the figures. Each stroke is visible; Ensor doesn't try to hide his process. You can see the direction of each brushstroke, and how he builds up the layers of paint to create texture and depth. Notice the doll in the lower right corner. Its floral dress and vacant stare contribute to the painting's overall sense of unease. It is details like these that make Ensor's paintings so intriguing. Ensor reminds me of a more theatrical Philip Guston, who used a similar approach to the application of paint to convey the human condition in all its tragic and comic horror. Ultimately, this is what Ensor does; he embraces the ambiguity of the human condition and leaves you to make up your own mind.