1896 (ca.), James Ensor, Hop-Frog's revenge -- Kroller-Muller Museum (Otterlo)
From the museum label: In a packed theatre, things are really heating up: burning apes hang in the air! Here, James Ensor depicts the final scene of the story Hop-Frog by Edgar Allen Poe. It eulogizes the court jester Hop-Frog, a dwarf and cripple, who takes revenge on the corrupt king and his seven ministers. The jester suggests that the king and his ministers attend the masquerade chained together and dressed as apes, to entertain the people. At the climax of the evening, Hop-Frog hoists the eight chained figures into the air like a chandelier and sets them ablaze above the heads of the crowd. Ensor, a notoriously critical grouch, denounces anything that smacks of power: the army, the church, the judges, the ministers. A characteristic feature of his work is the masks, which are not worn by people, but are themselves a person. In combination with the overwhelming expressiveness of line, light and colour, this painting is a true signature piece of Ensor.
1896 (ca.), James Ensor, Hop-Frog's revenge -- Kroller-Muller Museum (Otterlo)
From the museum label: In a packed theatre, things are really heating up: burning apes hang in the air! Here, James Ensor depicts the final scene of the story Hop-Frog by Edgar Allen Poe. It eulogizes the court jester Hop-Frog, a dwarf and cripple, who takes revenge on the corrupt king and his seven ministers. The jester suggests that the king and his ministers attend the masquerade chained together and dressed as apes, to entertain the people. At the climax of the evening, Hop-Frog hoists the eight chained figures into the air like a chandelier and sets them ablaze above the heads of the crowd. Ensor, a notoriously critical grouch, denounces anything that smacks of power: the army, the church, the judges, the ministers. A characteristic feature of his work is the masks, which are not worn by people, but are themselves a person. In combination with the overwhelming expressiveness of line, light and colour, this painting is a true signature piece of Ensor.