Ballet 1921

James Ensor made this drawing, Ballet, with pencil and crayon. The pale background and soft hues suggest a dream or memory. I imagine Ensor in his studio, quickly sketching the dancers, trying to capture the essence of their movement. The crayon is so light that the figures seem to float on the paper, ephemeral beings caught in a fleeting moment. Look at the dancers! One is mid-leap, suspended in air. It seems as if Ensor is experimenting with the bare minimum of marks to convey weight, form, movement, or emotion. There are audience members in the foreground, each face a character. Are they grotesque? I think he’s drawing with his mind as much as with his eye. He was part of a community of artists, constantly pushing the boundaries of expression. Ensor and others explored the absurd, the macabre, and the deeply personal. This drawing reminds us that art is a form of inquiry. Each stroke is an invitation to see, think, and feel in new ways.