Flagellation 1921

James Ensor made this drawing, Flagellation, with what looks like sanguine chalk. Imagine Ensor grabbing that chalk, maybe a little nervously at first, and then letting his hand fly, making marks that become figures—awful figures, in this case. I can almost feel the pressure he put on the stick to get that intense reddish hue. But look, that’s also Ensor’s trick. He’s not just showing us violence; he’s letting the medium itself, that red chalk, embody the feeling. The color itself speaks of blood, anger and violence. The frenzied marks, so typical of Ensor’s style, convey a deep sense of emotional intensity. You can see him wrestling with the picture. Like he’s trying to get something out of his head and onto the paper. It reminds me of Goya, but with a touch of the absurd. It's like he's saying, "Yeah, this is horrible, but isn't it also kind of ridiculous?" And that’s painting for you. Artists are always riffing off each other, turning the old into something new.