In autumn 2024, the Museum Plantin-Moretus presents the exhibition Ensor’s States of Imagination about Ensor’s remarkable graphic adventure. For several years, the young Ensor experimented lavishly with etching techniques. In his own words, “Practice makes perfect! Especially for etching. Experience is lacking and requires repeated trials and efforts.”

Ensor soon developed a unique approach to the medium. With predecessors like Rembrandt in mind, Ensor went his own way. His studio became a test lab for experiments, where chance sometimes played a role.

Ensor’s States of Imagination gathers for the first time the most remarkable results of these experiments: preparatory drawings, copper plates and various states of impressions. We show unique prints on parchment and colored satin. Ensor transforms prints into unique works of art by manually coloring them with colored pencil, chalk or watercolor. In this way, unexpected details emerge, depth is created in large crowds and new figures take shape.

At the same time, our museum’s 18th-century reading room will zoom in on Ensor and Verhaeren through the mini-exhibition Ensor filleted by the Dangerous Cooks. This mini-exhibition starts from the special Verhaeren collection which – until now – has received little attention. The focus here is Ensor’s drawing Les cuisiniers dangereux from this collection.