The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 16, 2024
The Cathedral
1886
(Belgian, 1860–1949)
Sheet: 31 x 22.4 cm (12 3/16 x 8 13/16 in.); Platemark: 24.2 x 18.8 cm (9 1/2 x 7 3/8 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Taevernier 7
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
This etching was Ensor’s most popular, and he eventually issued it in two versions; the Cleveland Museum of Art's rare impression is among the first that he printed.Description
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 church and the past.- ?-2003(R.S. Johnson Fine Art, sold to the Print Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH)2003Print Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH2003-Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 5-September 22, 2019).
- {{cite web|title=The Cathedral|url=false|author=James Ensor|year=1886|access-date=16 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2003.46