Comical Repast (detail)

James Ensor

Belgian, Ostend 1860-1949 Ostend

 

Comical Repast (Feast_of the Lean)

ca.1917-18

 

Oil on canvas

 

The current title of this painting reflects the

two names it was given during Ensor's lifetime.

Scholars have interpreted the enigmatic scene as

a critique of the German occupation of Belgium

during World War I, which the artist experienced

firsthand. The grouping around the table evokes

the Last Supper, but Christ and the Apostles are

replaced by ill-behaved, grotesque, and masked

figures-some of Ensor's favorite motifs. Their

meager meal, including insects and a raw onion,

evoke the near-famine that Belgians endured.

Ensor underscored the theme of mortality by

quoting three of his works depicting rowdy

skeletons in the background.

Done