Meet James Ensor: TMBG’s Lesson on Belgium’s Painter

A They Might Be Giants song that explores the eccentric Belgian painter’s life, art, and legacy in this playful school-report style essay.

Below is a report on the subject of track fifteen from They Might Be Giants’ album, John Henry. This is James Ensor, Belgium’s famous painter.

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The back cover of John Henry (1994) by They Might Be Giants, featuring a surreal parade of children beneath the band’s banner and a track list of 20 songs, including “Meet James Ensor.”

James Ensor was born on April 13, 1860, in Ostend, Belgium, where he would live for most of his life. He became known as a painter whose work was an early inspiration for expressionism and surrealism, which were styles that would not be seen until decades later. Ensor often depicted masks, skeletons, and religious imagery, using bright colors and exaggerated forms that stood out against the traditional painting styles of his time.

Although he trained formally at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts, many considered his art eccentric and even disturbing when it first appeared. Today, he is remembered as one of Belgium’s most influential artists.

Portraits of James Ensor. Photographed or Painted by the man himself

He Lived with His Mother and the Torments of Christ

Webster’s Dictionary defines torment as “severe physical or mental suffering.” This word is important for understanding James Ensor’s early life. Ensor lived most of his years in Ostend with his mother, who ran a souvenir shop that sold carnival masks and odd trinkets. These objects would later appear in many of his paintings, often paired with religious imagery that suggested reverence and mockery of both.

Ensor’s fascination with themes of suffering and spirituality is seen in works like Christ’s Entry into Brussels in 1889, where a masked, chaotic crowd surrounds a nearly hidden Christ figure (can you spot him?). In The Temptation of Saint Anthony, he filled the canvas with surreal, grotesque figures that blur the line between devotion and parody. Living with his mother and surrounded by both religious tradition and carnival culture, Ensor developed an artistic voice that combined torment, satire, and being eccentric.

The Temptation of Saint Anthony and Christ's Entry into Brussels in 1889

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He Lost All His Friends. He Didn’t Need His Friends

During his lifetime, James Ensor experienced both recognition and rejection. His bold colors and unusual subjects brought him praise, and eventually he was honored as a celebrated Belgian artist. However, further into his life as an artist, critics began to see his later work as too repetitive. What had once been groundbreaking had become predictable, and much of the art world moved on.

This arc mirrors the way They Might Be Giants describe him in their song, Meet James Ensor from their album, John Henry: a man who was celebrated, but eventually forgotten. TMBG co-founder John Flansburgh has even noted that Ensor’s career serves as a cautionary tale.

“With the song, I'm trying to encapsulate the issues of his life,” says Flansburgh. “An eccentric guy who became celebrated and was soon left behind as his ideas were taken into the culture, and other people became expressionists.”

The point being made is that an artist can become trapped by their own notoriety, repeating themselves until the originality fades. Ensor’s story shows how quickly public interest can shift, even for someone once considered ahead of his time.

The Crowd at His Window Went Back to Their Homes

As James Ensor grew older, his reputation declined. The same public that once gathered around his work eventually turned away. This was not because his paintings disappeared, but because the attention of audiences shifted to other artists and newer movements. Ensor’s style no longer seemed new and exciting.

Yet even as the crowd moved on, his art remained. Paintings such as Self-Portrait with Masks and Death and the Masks continued to exist as evidence of his unique vision. While his later years were quieter, his legacy was revived when historians and critics reexamined his role in the development of modern art. In this way, They Might Be Giants keep his name alive in popular culture, reminding listeners of a painter whose life shows both the power and the limits of public attention.

Death and The Masks, James Ensor

Dig Him Up and Shake His Hand

The TMBG lyric “dig him up and shake his hand” captures the strange persistence of Ensor’s art. Although he died in 1949, his paintings remain alive to this day.

Even after periods of obscurity, Ensor’s work resurfaces, as if resurrected from the past. His legacy remains not only in museums but also in the music of They Might Be Giants, who ensured that even casual listeners would “meet” him in song.

Works Cited:

1. They Might Be Giants, “Meet James Ensor.” John Henry, 1994.

2. Flansburgh, John. Tumblr post, 2024 (https://tmbgareok.tumblr.com/post/766240847586050048/where-did-yall-get-the-idea-for-meet-james)

3. They Might Be Giants, live performance of “Meet James Ensor.”

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Thanks for reading my report. Please give me an A so I can get P.E. waived this next semester.