The Infernal Cortege

James Ensor's "The Infernal Cortege," a print made in 1887, invites us into a world of the grotesque and macabre. Currently housed in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, this piece, measuring 0.258 meters wide and 0.21 meters tall, depicts a procession of unsettling figures moving against a stark, empty background. Ensor's use of line is striking; with minimal shading, he brings to life a parade of skeletal creatures and distorted human-like forms. Some figures carry instruments, others weapons, all marching with an eerie sense of purpose. Their exaggerated expressions, often grotesque, lend a sense of unsettling humor to the scene. The absence of color further amplifies the starkness, drawing our attention to the raw power of Ensor's lines and the unsettling world he creates.