The Cathedral
Medium
etching
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.31,"width":0.224},"platemark":{"height":0.242,"width":0.188}}
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland
Accession Number
2003.46
Tags
About this artwork
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 ...