L'Entrée du Christ à Bruxelles le Mardi Gras en 1889

Ensor’s imagined scene of Christ entering Brussels during Mardi Gras is typical of his visionary and bizarre style, anticipating the jarring visual effects of Fauvism and Surrealist fantasies. Situated in the middle ground, Christ goes virtually unnoticed amidst chaotic throngs of masked revelers, arguably functioning as a self-portrait of the artist who felt ignored by society and persecuted by his contemporaries. The festive atmosphere is diminished by the mob-like representation of the populace and the presence of Death wearing a top hat in the foreground. Ensor’s nightmarish depiction of an historical event that never occurred explores the intersection of imagination and anxiety over one’s place in society.