Masks Mocking Death 1888

"Masks Mocking Death", painted in 1888, is a quintessential example of Belgian artist James Ensor's style. The painting, featuring a central skeletal figure surrounded by masked and grotesque figures, is a powerful symbol of the artist’s anxieties about mortality and societal hypocrisy. Ensor’s use of thick, impasto paint, vibrant colors, and distorted forms creates a chaotic and unsettling atmosphere, characteristic of his Expressionist tendencies. The masks, a recurring motif in Ensor’s work, represent the masks people wear to hide their true selves and the absurdity of human life.