
The Cathedral
1886
- Medium
- etching
- Dimensions
- 31 × 22.4 cm
- Status
- In Museum Collection
- Collect24 Art ID
- C24-198578
James Ensor used tiny, repetitive marks possible with etching to develop a new, expressive style that contrasted with that of most of his contemporaries. The Gothic architecture, worn facade, and overwhelming scale of the cathedral seen here in exacting detail show that it has withstood the test of time. Ensor juxtaposed the building with a dense crowd of grotesque figures that push forward seemingly irrationally, presenting a symbolic contrast between their whims and the permanence of both the church and the past.
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland, 2003.46
Registry history
- 1886 — Recorded in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art — prints
Registered on Collect24
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