Man Reading 1880 - 1883

"Man Reading" is a graphite drawing on paper by Belgian artist James Ensor, created between 1880 and 1883. Ensor is best known for his use of caricature and grotesque imagery, but this drawing is a more intimate and introspective work, depicting a man absorbed in a book. The artist’s signature, characteristic loose lines and hatching, lend an air of immediacy and observation to the composition. The subject's focused gaze and the partially visible image on the wall behind him suggest a moment of deep concentration and perhaps even artistic inspiration.