The artwork titled “Old Woman with Masks (Theatre of Masks)” was created by James Ensor in 1889. Rendered in oil on canvas, this piece is associated with the Expressionism movement and falls under the genre of portrait. The artwork is presently housed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium.
This particular painting depicts an elderly woman surrounded by a variety of grotesque and colorful masks, embodying an aura of theatricality and mystery. The central figure of the woman, detailed with a lifelike expression, is contrasted against the exaggerated and artificial faces of the masks which encompass her. The masks, with their distorted and expressive features, introduce elements of drama and chaos into the composition. Ensor’s use of vivid colors and bold brushstrokes enhances the emotional intensity and surreal quality of the scene, typical of the Expressionist style. The juxtaposition of the realistic figure with fantastical elements alludes to themes of identity, reality, and illusion which are recurrent motifs in Ensor’s oeuvre.
