Technical summary
Lady with Red Parasol is painted on a regular, even-weave, commercially made canvas. It has lost its tacking margins during a restoration intervention. The canvas is lined with wax resin hiding any stamps or inscriptions that may be present beneath.
There is a white, lead-based ground layer on the canvas but this is not visible to the naked eye anywhere, as it is entirely covered by paint layers. Ensor painted Lady with Red Parasol on top of another composition that is visible on x-ray. There exists a sketch of the underlying composition that Ensor made after an etching by Jules Jaquemart of a medal by Morgan Dupré. The MA-XRF scans only show a small detail of the underlying image in the mercury image: the torso and hat of the fallen soldier. The infrared image reveals no carbon-based underdrawing.
Both compositions were painted in oil paint and the underlying composition appears to still be visible in a few places through the paint layer above. Ensor rotated the painting a quarter turn before painting the Lady with Red Parasol. He began by setting out a rough sketch of the composition in black paint. He applied his paint with both coarse-bristled, and finer, softer brushes, as well as a palette knife. He initially painted a white bonnet on the lady’s head. He subsequently overpainted this bonnet with a thin layer of brown paint to turn it into the woman’s hair.
The pigments Ensor used were vermilion, earth pigments, cobalt blue and ultramarine and/or Prussian blue, chrome yellow and possibly chrome green. The presence of manganese in some of the earth pigments may indicate Sienna or umber.
The painting is signed in red paint at lower right Ensor 80
on top of an already dry paint layer.
The varnish layer is thick and its application is uneven. White crystalline specks are visible across the entire surface of the painting. It is not clear whether these are contained within the varnish layer or have arisen out of the paint layer.
Materials and condition
Support
The work is painted on an even-weave canvas. The tacking margins of the original canvas have been cut off as part of a restoration intervention.
The thread count per cm2 is hard to ascertain given that the canvas cannot be seen anywhere through the lining attached to the back of the canvas. However, the x-ray shows that it is a very regular (commercially woven) canvas.
fig 1: Edge of the original canvas with view of the canvas lining.
fig 2: Detail of the x-ray with a view of the weave.
The tacking margins of the original canvas were cut off as part of a restoration intervention. The canvas was glued to a new support – lined – with wax resin. This new support is fairly coarse in texture with a very hard feel as a result of being impregnated with wax resin.
Ground layer
The pXRF measurements indicate that the ground layer is mostly composed of lead (Pb), although some calcium (Ca) was also found in every measurement taken. This suggests that calcium had been added to the mixture by the manufacturer.1
The canvas has been reused: Lady with Red Parasol is painted on top of another painting. As a result, the ground layer is covered by too many paint layers for it to be visible to the naked eye. The ground layer appears quite even; it was probably commercially applied. When the canvas was lined, its tacking margins were cut off quite roughly through the paint layers: this provides us with their cross section.
The cross section of the paint layers is quite complex, with 8 consecutive layers visible under digital magnification. A white intermediate layer may have been applied over the initial composition to provide an even white layer (either layer number 5 or 7) on which the new composition of the Lady with Red Parasol was painted. It is uncertain whether layers 5 and/or 7 are part of the paint layer or whether one is an even white intermediate layer. The cross section of the paint layer can only be seen at this particular point, but this does not mean that it is the same elsewhere in the painting. In other places, the colour of the underpainting seems to show through the paint layers.
fig 3: Detail of the cross section of the paint layer under digital magnification.
fig 4: The edge of the paint layer and the canvas seen from above under magnification.
fig 5: Cross section of the paint layer seen under digital magnification. 1. ground layer, 2. light blue paint layer, 3. gray paint layer, 4. brown paint layer, 5. white paint layer, 6. thin red paint layer, 7. white paint layer, 8. green/brown paint layer.
Underdrawing
No carbon-based underdrawing is visible under infrared light. This does not necessarily mean that there is no underdrawing present; merely, that if there is one, it cannot be detected with infrared light. The model for this painter was Ensor’s sister whose portrait he made on several occasions, as evidenced by the many sketches in which she figures. Such familiarity with his subject might have caused him to require less meticulous preparation.
There is a second composition beneath Lady with Red Parasol. The infrared radiation may not have penetrated deeply enough to pick up signals from the painting beneath; as a result, no carbon-based underdrawing has been detected for the underlying composition either. A preparatory drawing on paper exists for the scene depicted in the underlying painting, as seen on the x-ray (see the section on the underlying paint layer). It is entirely possible that Ensor did not make an underdrawing in a dry, carbon-based drawing medium at all. More plausibly, he laid out his initial design in oil paint – as he did on other occasions when working on canvas – and that he followed this sketch when developing his painting.
fig 6: 2711/130 – Rising army (detail) Copy of an etching of Morgan Dupré’s medal by Jules Jaquemart.
fig 7: 3 studies of a lady with parasol, (inv. 2712:9).
Underlying paint layer
The x-ray provides a view of the underlying composition. Ensor rotated his canvas by a quarter turn for his new design. The large quantities of lead white detected do not equate to the image above; only at head level is there a white bonnet visible that can be interpreted as the initial design of the overlying painting – we seem to be looking here at a pentimento introduced during the painting process: Ensor began by painting the lady with a white bonnet on her head only to paint over it later with a thin layer of brown paint that looks like hair.
fig 8: X-ray with the underlying composition traced in black outline.
fig 9: Photo in normal light with the underlying composition traced in white outline.
One of Ensor’s drawings in the collection shows General Morgan’s rising army, copied from a medal or coin. This image corresponds quite closely to the tracing of the underlying painting. This may have been an academic study.
fig 10: 2711/130 – Rising army (detail) Copy of an etching by Jules Jaquemart of Morgan’s medal by Dupré (G.d.B.A., 1878, 18, p. 414).
fig 11: Victoria Libertatis Vindex (Victory, the vindicator liberty) Fugatiscaptisautcæsis ad Cowpens hostibus, 17 Januarii, 1781: The enemy put to flight, taken, or slain at the Cowpens, January 17, 1781.) dupré inv et f. (Dupréinvenit et fecit).
At first glance, the MA-XRF scans reveal little of the underlying composition, probably because the components of the pigments used are too close to each other and/or because a lead white intermediary layer was applied between the two compositions. Regardless, the fallen soldier
in the foreground can be clearly made out on the lead (Pb-L) and mercury (Hg-L) scans.
The figure wears a red bonnet and red top, the negative image of what we can see on the lead scan.
fig 12: MA-XRF distribution map of the element mercury (Hg-L) corresponding to the use of the red pigment vermilion. This shows the fallen soldier’s red top and hat from the underlying painting.
fig 13: Detail of the mercury (Hg-L) map on which the red top and bonnet are visible.
Paint layer
Both paint layers are executed in oil paint. There do not appear to be any adhesion issues between the paint layers. However, there is very pronounced craquelure of a sort found elsewhere on works painted on top an older painting.
An underlying paint layer shows through the upper paint layer in several places; this may be the paint layer of the underlying painting. This can be seen, for example, in the red areas, near the arm where a grey colour is visible between the paint strokes. An underlying colour – in a shade of bluish-grey – can also be seen in the parasol.
fig 14: Detail taken near the arm where a greyish-blue underlying shade shows through above.
Technique
If Ensor did not apply a white intermediate layer on top the underlying composition, then the underlying composition would have remained visible while he was painting Lady with Red Parasol, as was the case of Still Life with Chinoiseries that was painted on top of the study of an old man. Ensor seems to have made a very rough sketch of the figure in black paint with a hard-bristled brush. Traces of this can still be seen here and there around the parasol. The black railing on which the woman rests her arm seems to have extended further in the initial design and still shows through the red of her sleeve.
fig 15: First design of the parasol in black paint.
fig 16: Way in which chair is built up.
fig 17: Detail: application of red paint strokes over darker colour.
fig 18: Detail of parasol: application of paint strokes.
Once again, Ensor played with textures here. This is particularly visible around the parasol. He has applied his paint with a combination of a palette knife, brushstrokes from a hard-bristled brush, and with the flat side of the brush (tamponing).
fig 19: Detail of the paint strokes.
fig 20: Detail from bottom to top, brushstrokes, palette knife strokes and tamponing.
fig 21: Detail of the head with visible orange/red strokes around the eyes, nose and mouth.
fig 22: Detail of right eye under magnification.
In addition to coarse brushstrokes, Ensor also used a fine brush for the face, applying his paint with quite dry strokes; giving extra emphasis to the eyes and the outline of the nose. Ensor used much more colour for the face than we might at first imagine. The orange strokes around the eyes, nose and mouth are typical of several other portraits (such as Girl with Upturned Nose, 1879, inv. 2077, KMSKA), but the blue paintstrokes around the eyes that can be observed on the other works are missing here.
The skirt was painted by initially filling in the area loosely with dilute, dark-blue paint, then adding lighter blue accent touches with a palette knife to render its form and texture. The colour shades and technique recall other works, such as Lady at the Breakwater (1880, inv. 3384, KMSKA) and Lady with Fan (1880 or 1881, inv. 2833, KMSKA).
fig 23: Detail of blue accent strokes applied with a palette knife.
fig 24: Detail of blue accent strokes applied with a palette knife.
fig 25: Detail of the x-ray showing the white bonnet.
fig 26: Detail of lead (Pb-L) map from the MA-XRF scan on which the bonnet is still visible. Applied in white paint, probably lead white.
fig 27: Detail of the woman’s hair showing the white bonnet still visible beneath the paint layer.
Ensor clearly made a change to the woman’s head during the painting process.
An underlying form can be observed under raking light; this is also visible in normal light. The lady initially wore a white bonnet which Ensor subsequently overpainted. Its form shows up clearly on the x-ray and on the element distribution map for lead (Pb-L). Some of the paint seems to have been applied with a palette knife in a technique similar to that used for the woman’s collar, suggesting that this is a pentimento, rather than a signal from the painting beneath.
The craquelure is more pronounced in this area, which indicates that the hair was painted before the bonnet had completely dried.
Pigment use
These pigments were analysed by Geert van der Snickt on the basis of seven pXRF measurements. The text below is based on these analyses2 and the results of an MA-XRF scan.
In the white areas, lead (Pb) was the element predominantly detected, which is standard for this period. Quite a lot of mercury and sulphur (Hg and S) were found in the red areas, indicating the use of vermilion (HgS). Iron (Fe) was also detected in every measurement; a similar combination of reds was found in almost all the of Ensor’s paintings investigated to date.
Cobalt (Co) was detected in the blue areas, indicating the use of cobalt blue. Another blue that does not contain cobalt was also used. The pXRF measurements indicate the possible use of Prussian blue or ultramarine. The dark green cushion on the chair contains chrome, but it is unclear whether this is chrome green or whether chrome yellow was mixed with another pigment to make green. Chrome was also detected in the yellow/brown parasol pole, which may indicate the use of chrome yellow.
Plenty of iron (Fe) was detected across the entire surface of the work, which suggests the use of earth pigments. Iron (Fe-K) and barium (Ba-L) are present in the red of the parasol and the woman’s jacket. A darker iron- and manganese-based pigment was used for the chair on which the lady rests her arm; this may indicate the use of Sienna or umber. Zinc and iron were detected in the parasol pole and in parts of the background.
Signature
Lower right
Ensor 80
The signature and date were added in quite dry red paint on top of the already dry paint layer: Ensor 80
.
Surface finish
The varnish layer is unusually thick and its application is uneven; it may have been added during F. Bender’s 1963 restoration.3 According to his report, it was a colourless, dilute dammar resin
.
There are visible white flecks on or under the varnish across the painting’s entire surface. It is not completely clear whether these are deposits on the layers or surface deterioration. These flecks are crystalline in structure and come in a range of sizes. The cracks in the paint layer run through the middle of these white flecks in some place. Similar flecks have been observed on two other works, namely Back of a Chair (1880, inv. 3978, KMSKA) and Lady with Fan (1880 or 1881, inv. 2833, KMSKA). If this is deterioration, then it may be some form of efflorescence. Further analysis is necessary to establish exactly what this is.
fig 29: Location of the detail of the crystalline white flecks visible across the entire surface of the painting.
fig 30: Detail of the crystalline white flecks visible across the entire surface of the painting, under magnification.
fig 31: Detail of the chair (x40).
History of the painting
Acquisition history
Georges Giroux Collection, Brussels; A. Crespin Collection, Brussels; bought at auction by Galerie Georges Giroux, Brussels, 1930, lot no. 48.
Restoration history
1963: restoration by Frederik Bender.
27/08/1999 condition report and handling report by Ineke Labarque: condition report for museum loan, dusting of front and back of painting and removal of grime between canvas and stretcher. Repair of scratches in varnish with brush and dammar varnish. Addition of watercolour retouche to black chairback. Consolidation of loose parts of the frame with Mowilith DMC2, replacing and fixing stretcher keys. Addition of watercolour retouches to frame where white plaster was visible. Colouring of brown paper edges protruding from rebate with watercolour; addition of felt and balsa wood slats to rebate; addition of protection to back of work.
4/09/2003: conservation report and condition report by Gwen Borms. Surface cleaning, small retouches to the frame and checking of paint layer.
Exhibition history
1909, Brussels, Musée Moderne, Le Sillon. XVIme Salon annuel, no. 33;
1929, Brussels, Centre for Fine Arts, James Ensor, no. 140;
1939, Parjs, La Gazette des Beaux-Arts et Beaux-Arts, Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Ensor, no. 17;
1950, Bosvoorde, Salons van 't Hoog Huis, 5th Exhibition, no. 10;
1951, Antwerp, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, James Ensor. Retrospective, no. 19, image no. 16;
1956, Breda, Cultureel Centrum Beyerd, Confrontatie Noord / Zuid, no. 28;
1956/ 1957, Moscow, The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Belgian Art of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Van Meunier to Permeke;
1959, Krefeld, Museum Haus Lange, James Ensor (no catalogue);
1961, Otterlo, Kröller-Müller Museum, Ensor. 1860/1949, no. 9, image;
1961, Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Ensor. 1860/1949, no. 9, image;
1970, Stockholm, Nationalmuseum, En liten bok om Ensor, no. 8;
1983, Antwerp, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, James Ensor, no. 28;
1989, Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, James Ensor. Belgien um 1900, no. 5, image p. 67;
1990, Paris, Musée du Petit Palais, James Ensor, no. 14, image p. 95;
1993/ 1994, Antwerp, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, In depot / uit depot. De modernen in het koninklijk museum;
1999/ 2000, Brussels, Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, Ensor, no. 24, image p. 87;
2003, Saint Petersburg, Russian Ethnographic Museum, James Ensor (1860-1949). Antwerp presents a Painter, no. 4, image;
2010, Mexico, Xochimilco, Museo Dolores Olmedo Patinõ, James Ensor, image p. 45;
2010/ 2011, Brussels, ING Cultural Center, Ensor Unmasked, no. 116, image p. 108;
2011, The Hague, Gemeentemuseum, James Ensor. Universum van een fantast, image p. 91;
2012, Aichi, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, James Ensor in Context. Ensor and the History of European Art from the Collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, no. 81, image p. 096;
2012, Ehime, The Museum of Art, James Ensor in Context. Ensor and the History of European Art from the Collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, no. 81, image p. 096;
2012, Tokyo, Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Museum of Art, James Ensor in Context. Ensor and the History of European Art from the Collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, no. 81, image p. 096;
2012/ 2013, Iwate, Iwate Museum of Art, James Ensor in Context. Ensor and the History of European Art from the Collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, no. 81, image p. 096;
2013, Okayama, The Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, James Ensor in Context. Ensor and the History of European Art from the Collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, no. 81, image p. 096;
2013/ 2014, Ordrupgaard, James Ensor Fra Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen og schweiziske samlinger, no. 11, image;
2014, Basel, Kunstmuseum, Die überraschten Masken: James Ensor aus dem Königlichen Museum für Schöne Künste Antwerpen und Schweizer Sammlungen, no 11, image;
2014, Los Angeles, The J. Paul Getty Museum, The Getty Center, The Scandalous Art of James Ensor (no catalogue);
2014/ 2015, Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, Temptation: The Demons of James Ensor (no catalogue);
2018/ 2020, Ostend, Mu.ZEE, Dreams of Mother-of-Pearl. De ENSOR-verzameling van het KMSKA in Oostende, image p. 55;