Ballet 1921

This drawing called 'Ballet', is by James Ensor. Look at the pale, almost ghostly blue lines sketching out the dancers and audience. It feels like a fleeting thought, a memory half-formed, right? I love how Ensor lets us see the process, the way he's feeling out the shapes. The paper has a warmth that the cool blue lines sit on top of, like the bare stage a performance is about to begin on. See how the dancers aren't perfect, they're a little wonky, a little raw. It's like Ensor is saying, "Here's the energy, the movement, the feeling, not just the pretty picture." There's one dancer on the left, reaching up, and her arm isn’t quite right. It’s so much more interesting than being ‘right’. Ensor reminds me a bit of Daumier, who also loved to capture the human comedy. Both artists show us that art isn't about perfection, it's about capturing a moment, an emotion, an idea. And that's what makes it so exciting.