De brug van het bos te Oostende 1889

James Ensor made this serene etching of the bridge in the woods of Oostende at a time when Europe was on the cusp of significant social and political change. Ensor, who lived through two World Wars, captured landscapes that often possess a quiet emotional intensity. In this image, the bridge can be seen as a physical and metaphorical connector, linking different realms of experience. The subdued palette reflects a sense of melancholy, typical of fin-de-siècle art, when society was experiencing a period of uncertainty and introspection. There's a dreamlike quality to the scene, perhaps reflective of Ensor's inner world. "My intention has always been to affirm life, even when life is a misery," Ensor once said. Consider how "De brug van het bos te Oostende" offers us not just a view of a landscape, but also an intimate look at the artist’s emotional state. It mirrors a broader societal mood of reflection and change.