James Ensor

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James Ensor was a Flemish painter (Oostende, April 13th 1860 - November 19th 1949).

Perhaps the most original figure of late 19th century Flemish painting, Ensor is known for his unique portrayals of grotesque humanity, painting individuals as clowns or skeletons or replacing their faces with carnival masks.

His body of work was an important precursor to the development of Expressionism.

Ensor had an important influence on 20th century painting, especially Surrealism and Dada.