De molenduivel 1934

James Ensor made this drawing, with a pen in 1934, with brown ink on paper. When I look at this drawing, I think about line, mark-making, and the power of gesture; how the artist's hand moves across the page in a kind of dance. It’s pretty simple in terms of colour, but the brown ink really brings it to life. Ensor draws these figures in a world of swirling lines. The marks are quick and loose, almost like he's trying to capture a fleeting thought or dream. It makes me wonder what he was thinking about when he was drawing this. Was he trying to tell a story, or just letting his imagination run wild? And the scene itself is intriguing—there's almost a theatrical quality to it. I can imagine Ensor chuckling to himself as he created this bizarre world, full of hidden meanings and strange characters. In the end, Ensor reminds us that art is a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists and viewers. He challenges us to look beyond the surface, to find our own meanings, and to embrace the uncertainty of it all.