The Exterminating Angel (L'ange exterminateur)

1889

James Ensor

Associated Names
James Ensor

Artist, Belgian, 1860 - 1949

This drawing depicts a figure riding a horse in mid-air above a group of figures. The horse and rider appear to be leaping or flying against a backdrop of clouds and a large building on the right. The horse is depicted with motion lines suggesting speed. Below, a crowd of figures is shown with their arms raised towards the flying horse and rider. The building to the right includes towers and windows and is detailed with lines. The drawing's texture is created through cross-hatching and fine line work, giving it a lively atmosphere. Contrasts between light and shadow emphasize the dramatic scene.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 29.3 × 40.2 cm (11 9/16 × 15 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1964.8.715

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Delteil, no. 77


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1967

  • Mask and Eye: the graphic work of James Ensor and Odilon Redon, Brandeis University, Dreitzer Gallery, Waltham, MA, 1967, no. 10.

2009

  • The Darker Side of Light: Arts of Privacy, 1850-1900, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; NGA; Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, 2009 - 2010

Bibliography

1906

  • Delteil, Loys. Le peintre-graveur illustre. 31 vols. Paris: Published by the author, 1906-1926. Reprint. New York: Collectors Editions, Da Capo Press, 1969. Vol. 30 (Albert Besnard) is by Louis Godefroy.

Wikidata ID

Q65509907

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