Hélio 1929

James Ensor drew 'Hélio' in 1911, and I can tell it’s made with pencil, maybe even a little bit of crayon. Look at the repeated marks that create the feathery costume. It’s like he’s building up layers of light. What strikes me is how the whole image shimmers with an inner glow. The figure is defined by delicate lines that emphasize the texture of the costume and the character’s radiating energy. There’s something both playful and serious in the way Ensor renders the face, a hint of melancholy beneath the bright rays of the sun. Ensor’s interest in light and theatricality reminds me of some of the costume designs by Oskar Schlemmer for the Bauhaus. Both artists create works that are full of imagination, inviting us to consider art as a space of transformation and boundless experimentation.