Belgium, 19th century / 1885
The Garden of the Rousseau Family
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The Garden of the Rousseau Family as painting (Belgium, 19th century · 1885).
James Ensor painted in a wide variety of styles and techniques, his subjects varying from realistic landscapes like this one to fantastical imagined scenes from literature and theater. The sea in his hometown of Ostend, Belgium, was also a favorite subject.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on fabric and credits James Ensor (Belgian, 1860–1949).
The museum's collection notes: This painting depicts the garden of the artist’s close friends Ernest and Mariette Rousseau, with whom he often stayed at their home in Brussels, Belgium. He rendered this view of their garden in a technique of bold color applied with strong, broken brushstrokes. It is not known whether Ensor painted this work from life or memory, but the garden, empty of people, hints at feelings of social alienation, a dominant theme in his work.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe Garden of the Rousseau FamilyOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.