JAMES ENSOR | Les quatre tempéraments

Théo Hannon, Brussels (his sale: Salle Aeolian, Brussels, December 26, 1916, lot 80)
Y. Breckpot, Antwerp (aquired at the above sale)
J. Beuckeleers, Antwerp
Galerie Atelier (Franz Aerts), Ostende
Sale: S.A. Servats N.V., Brussels, May 18, 1993, lot 127
Willy D'Huysser (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1988

Antwerp, Kunst van Heden, 1921, no. 85
Venice, XV. Esposizione Biennale Internationale d'Arte, 1926, no. 96
Antwerp, Koninkljik Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, Retrospectieve James Ensor, 1951, no. 2, listed in the catalogue p. 37
Zurich, Kunsthaus Zurich & Antwerp, Koninkljik Museum woor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, James Ensor, 1983, no. 139
Kobe, Museum of Modern Art, James Ensor, 1983-84, no. 23

Gisèle Olliger-Zinque, Ensor par lui-même, Brussels, 1976, no.8, pl. 14, illustrated p. 93

Executed on cream wove paper, laid down on cardboard. There are a few minor paper losses to the lower part of the left edge. There is a small repaired tear to the left part of the upper edge (approx. 2,5 cm long) and a smaller repaired tear (approx. 1 cm long) to the centre of the left edge. There is some minor mount staining along the edges and some dots of foxing in places. There is a dot of varnish, only visible under racking light, to the shoulder of the second standing figure from the left. This work is in overall good condition.
"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."

According to the theory of humours developed in Hippocrates's treatise, health varies according to the balance of humours in the body. The ancient Greeks believed there were four humours: yellow bile, black bile, blood and phlegm. According to their importance, they determined the four fundamental temperaments the "sanguine", "choleric", "melancholic" and "phlegmatic".

In a satirical drawing made in 1881-1882, the young Ensor depicted the theme and interpreted it in a personal fashion. For him, the four temperaments range from "poetic", "epic", "sardonic", and "schnic". The "poetic" temperament is embodied by a stylish young woman, who resembles his sister Marie (1861-1945) or his friend and patron Mariette Hannon (1850-1926) the wife of Ernest Rousseau, doctor and dean at the Université Libre in Brussels. The "epic" temperament is embodied by the artist himself. That James Ensor qualified his temperament this way says much about the image he had of himself. The third figure embodies the "sardonic". He could be the Belgian painter and poet Théo Hannon (1851-1916), the brother of Mariette Rousseau. The fourth figure is qualified as "schnic". It could be Willy Finch (1854-1930), painter and fellow citizen of James Ensor. In James Ensor's letters to Mariette Rousseau at the beginning of the 1880s, the Ostend painter described Finch's love of "scnick", a German word for a white alcoholic drink of bad quality.

Xavier Tricot