| The Rooftops of Ostend | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | James Ensor |
| Year | 1884 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 149 cm× 207 cm(59 in× 81 in) |
| Location | Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, Antwerp |
The Rooftops of Ostend is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Flemish expressionist painter James Ensor. This painting is on the official inventory of Flemish masterpieces. [1] The Rooftops of Ostend is in the possession of Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. [2]
Ensor painted the view of his window from his attic studio three times during his career. The artist's attic studio was located in his parental home in Ostend, Belgium. [3] However, it is difficult to determine which parts of Ostend was depicted in this painting since the city has changed significantly from Ensor's time. [2]
Ensor never travelled afar in search of exotic or extraordinary settings. He was mostly interested in his immediate surroundings and was able to find enough inspiration for painting in Ostend, since he was intrigued by the nearby sea as well as Ostend's townscape. [3]
Storm is the main theme of the painting. The stormy clouds covering the city of Ostend attract the viewer's attention, and only a small portion of the painting depicts the roofs and the houses. Ensor's delicate use of dark colours and the scarcity of light depict a threatening landscape that suggests a near destruction for the city. [2]
This portrayal of Ostend is surprising and inconsistent with Ensor's writings and notes in which he praises Ostend and his native land. [2]
Ostend is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast.
Luc Tuymans is a Belgian visual artist best known for his paintings which explore people's relationship with history and confront their ability to ignore it. World War II is a recurring theme in his work. He is a key figure of the generation of European figurative painters who gained renown at a time when many believed the medium had lost its relevance due to the new digital age.
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The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp is a museum in Antwerp, Belgium, founded in 1810, that houses a collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries. This collection is representative of the artistic production and the taste of art enthusiasts in Antwerp, Belgium and the Northern and Southern Netherlands since the 15th century.
James Sidney Edouard, Baron Ensor was a Belgian painter and printmaker, an important influence on expressionism and surrealism who lived in Ostend for most of his life. He was associated with the artistic group Les XX.
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The Mu.ZEE is a museum in Ostend, Belgium, specializing in Belgian art from 1830 onwards. It was created in 2008 by the fusion of the former Provinciaal Museum voor Moderne Kunst and the Museum voor Schone Kunsten Oostende, both located in Ostend. The museum has two dependencies, the Ensorhuis in Ostend, and the Permekemuseum in Jabbeke. Mu.ZEE is an abbreviation of "Kunstmuseum aan Zee".
Despite its size, Belgium has a long and distinguished artistic tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages, considerably pre-dating the foundation of the current state in 1830. Art from the areas making up modern Belgium is called in English Netherlandish up to the separation with the Netherlands from 1570 on, and Flemish until the 18th century.
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Flemish Expressionism, also referred to as Belgian Expressionism, was one of the dominant art styles in Flanders during the interbellum. Influenced by artists like James Ensor and the early works of Vincent van Gogh, it was a distinct contemporary of German Expressionism. Contrary to the more rebellious and erotic nature of many German Expressionist works, the Flemish art of the School of Latem was more oriented towards the farming life, and was expressed in earthy colours and vigorous brushwork. It was also in general more oriented towards France and Brussels than to Germany, and incorporated elements of Fauvism and Cubism, for example the interest in "primitive" art, of both the ethnic and folk traditions. Flemish Expressionists like Spilliaert were more influenced by Ensor and Symbolism, or like Wouters were closer to the vibrant colours used by the Fauvists. The main proponents were Gust De Smet, Constant Permeke and Frits Van den Berghe.
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The Ensor Award is an accolade presented by the Ensor Academy of Belgium to recognize cinematic achievement in the film industry and is the highest film honour in the Flemish speaking part of the country. Named after James Ensor, it is the successor of the Joseph Plateau Award that honoured films from the entire country. Since its discontinuation, the Magritte Awards are given to French speaking movies, while the Ensors honour Flemish productions.
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