Corylopsis 1929

Editor: Oh, my goodness, talk about light on its feet! This almost feels like a memory floating off the page. So ethereal and... flowery? Curator: Indeed! What we're looking at here is "Corylopsis," a watercolor and pencil work by James Ensor, dating back to 1929. The Corylopsis is a flowering shrub, native to Asia. It appears this piece may be a costume design for a theatre or ballet production. Editor: Ah, that explains it! I see that theatricality. There's something almost playful in the presentation, like a fairy-tale character dreamt up in pastels. The way the colors bleed slightly makes it all the more dreamlike, right? But I'm curious, where does this sit within Ensor's wider body of work? It's not what I immediately associate with him. Curator: That's an astute observation. Ensor is best known for his paintings featuring grotesque masks and crowded scenes satirizing bourgeois society. However, he designed numerous costumes, primarily for performances at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. "Corylopsis," therefore, reveals another facet of his creativity – his engagement with design and performative culture. Editor: I like that—it reveals how playful and experimental artists can be. I’m also curious, who decides to archive, preserve and exhibit art, and what agendas they carry. Do these curators reflect their socio-cultural values and class backgrounds? This guy or gal Corylopsis looks innocent. Did it escape all those filters of what to value, and get an audience almost 100 years later? Is Corylopsis the great leveler? Curator: Well, I hope Corylopsis finds its audience as much for the technique and talent Ensor displays here, as much as Corylopsis' apparent democratic effect. Thank you for sharing your perspective, your comments always add a little sparkle to things! Editor: Likewise! That insight was very illuminating, indeed.