- 19
James Ensor
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 GBP
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Description
- James Ensor
- Le pisseur (D., T., E. 12)
- etching on paper
- plate: 150 by 108mm 6 by 4 1/4 in
- sheet: 295 by 240mm 11 5/8 by 9 3/8 in
Etching, 1887, signed and dated in pencil, titled, countersigned in pencil verso, on simili japon, framed
Provenance
Ex coll. G. Behaegel, Pittem (not in Lugt)
Condition
With wide margins, in good condition, the sheet corners softened slightly, framed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Ensor’s references to the Old Masters are well documented, and in Le pisseur, Ensor pays homage to the eponymous drawing by Jacques Callot, now in the Uffizi, Florence. While Callot shows his pisser as a lowly jester, Ensor depicts a respectable gentleman in a top hat urinating on a wall scrawled with the phrase ‘ENSOR EST UN FOU’ (Ensor is a madman). This scene has been interpreted as a clever, and rather literal response, to many critics Ensor encountered between 1885-95.