Susan M. Canning is an independent art historian based in New York, USA.
This lucid and engaging book locates James Ensor’s work squarely within the realms of masquerade (societal, ideological, and artistic); the political, social, gender, and sexual dynamics in fin-de-siècle Belgium; and the artist's network of intellectuals. Canning eloquently reveals a new Ensor – connected, vigilant, endlessly transgressive, and always poignant. * Patricia G. Berman, Theodora L. and Stanley H. Feldberg Professor of Art, Wellesley College, USA * The monumental and complex painting, Christ’s Entry into Brussels in 1889, introduces this keen-eyed, meticulously researched and multi-themed exploration of Ensor’s artworks; a book that offers compelling new perspectives on their genesis in his contemporary social, cultural and political world. * Gloria Groom, Chair and David and Mary Winton Green Curator, The Art Institute of Chicago, USA *