James Ensor

Ernestine Mollet, Ostend (a gift from the artist in 1943)
Peurquaet, Ostend
Private Collection, Brussels
Thence by decent to the present owner before the 1980s

Paris, Galerie d’Orsay, Les Peintres Surréalistes, Delvaux, Ensor, Labisse, Magritte…,1999, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Tokyo, Metropolitan Teien Art Museum & travelling in Japan, James Ensor: Japonism to Modernism, 2005, no. 36

Xavier Tricot, James Ensor, Catalogue raisonné of the paintings, 1902-1941, vol. II, London, 1992, no. 757, illustrated p. 647
Xavier Tricot, James Ensor, The complete paintings, Ostfildern, 2009, no. 777, illustrated in colour p. 308

The canvas is not lined and there do not appear to be any retouchings visible under UV light. There are some faint drips marks to the upper part of the right edge and some scattered tiny fly spots. This work would benefit from a light clean, and is in overall good condition.
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Imbued with a voluptuous sensuality that elevates Coquilles forms rebondies above standard exemplars of the still life genre, the present work reveals the influence of James Ensor’s childhood experiences within his mother’s souvenir shop in Ostend. The artist grew up surrounded by extraordinarily diverse artefacts from various countries which his mother had collected together in order to sell, and Ensor recalled the profound influence these objects exerted on him:  'In my parent’s shop I had seen the wavy lines, the serpentine forms of beautiful seashells, the iridescent light of mother-of-pearl, the rich tones of delicate chinoiseries…' (quoted in Paul Haeserts, Ensor, London, 1957, p. 37). The intricate patterns and colours of the shells found within his mother’s emporium served as a particular source of inspiration, a fascination which is reflected within the luminous palette of Coquilles forms rebondies.

A certain sense of duality emanates from this vibrant still life and illustrates Ensor’s constantly oscillating preoccupations between tradition and fantasy. Despite his academic education at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Ensor’s unconventionality had always led him to favour less traditional subject-matter. The sea creatures, dancers and angels that float joyfully across the background within the present work underline Ensor’s life-long fascination with Symbolism, and endow Coquilles forms rebondies with a fantastical and magical atmosphere. Coquilles forms rebondies was a gift from the artist to Ernestine Mollet, the companion of Ensor’s loyal housekeeper Auguste van Yper (to whom the previous lot, Les Bons livres, was gifted).