Drawing Sheet 7 C-D

Support

Dimensions:

22.5 x 34.5 cm

Cut edge:

—

Paper type:

Ivory wove paper, discolored to tan

Pinholes:

LRC (2), ULC, possibly URC and left top edge

Additional notes:

The upper of the two possible LRC pinholes appears to correspond to the pinhole at the lower left edge of 7F

Sewing holes:

Along center fold/break, 16.8 from top edge

Edges overlapping adj. sheet:

Top edge and right edge (up to 5mm at bottom)

Edges extending below adj. sheet:

Bottom edge, slight partial (left side)

Edges abutting adj. sheet:

Possibly left edge, unclear due to loss/restoration fill

Media

Colored pencil:

Black pencil is used to define the overall composition; applied prior to laying down color media. Two different densities of black pencil appear to have been used, the darker pencil used to redraw/strengthen pre-existing lines

Bright blue pencil is applied in the winged creature, in the center-left figure’s jacket and in St. Anthony’s cloak; the blue pencil is visibly drawn over the words in the banner

Green-blue pencil is used to color the (beggar) figure’s bowl

Green pencil is applied in the serpents body at the left side and in the general background in the upper area

Red pencil is applied to the bird-like creature’s wings and the face and hands of the (beggar) figure

Yellow pencil (also possibly a wash) is applied at the tip and bottom of the banner and possibly in the serpent’s wings

Charcoal/chalk:

Possibly in areas that possess tonal qualities such as in the rabbit, the figure’s face and hand, etc.; the application of the fixative obscures some of the unique light reflective characteristics of charcoal

Pastel:

Possibly, green-blue in the ULC

Watercolor:

Red watercolor/gouache is applied on the wing of the bird-like creature and it’s bloody excrement in the upper, center-right area; figure’s mouth at LLC. This media is applied over all other media

Scratching:

Extensive scratching is visible in the figure’s face to provide highlights and possibly changes in his proper right eye

Additional media notes:

A red-orange media similar to that in the figure’s eye in 6G is also visible in the bloody excrement

It is unclear what media was used to create some gray tonal passages, perhaps charcoal or chalk as the areas appear somewhat smudged

Composition

Drawing to sheet edges:

There is drawing to all edges, though the red gouache does not extend over the overlapping edge at the left bottom edge

Drawing into adjacent sheet:

(it appears that the drawing was extended into adjacent sheets, only after joining)

There are numerous areas of loss in adjacent sheets that make it difficult to assess the continuation of drawn lines—the composition in existing areas appears to continue generally across, slightly artificially without drawn lines directly crossing over edges:  The beak of the bird-like figure at the center top is extends from its face in 7D; the (beggar) figure’s hat abruptly ends at the top edge; St. Anthony’s cloak continues generally across into 8E; the face in LLC of 7C gains a chin in 8C and the beggar’s lot abruptly ends the rabbit at the edge, but gains a peacock in 8D—the elbow of the beggar figure is perhaps the most direct continuation into 8C.

Compositional changes/additions:

The (beggar) figure’s hat is altered twice—it appears to begin as a funnel shape extending to a launch pad/architecture above in 7C and then it is made into a top hat and reworked to be larger; some features such as the figure’s eyeglasses and pointy fingernails appear to be added with a darker black pencil; also, Ensor appears to have drawn over ‘Labre’ (and possibly some of the other letters/words) with a darker black pencil to strengthen it

The bird-like creature at the upper center- right area appears to have been worked over pre-existing drawing or heavily reworked—it’s phallus appear to have been drawn over a linear background.

Artist’s patches:

—

Former restoration:

Two small triangular losses at center top and upper right edges

Drawing on verso:

—

Additional observations:

There is a horizontal line in black pencil that extends through the center of the sheet

Analysis

Technique

Area/location

Results/observations

Photo microscopy:

Ultra-violet radiation:

Infrared radiation:

Raman Spectroscopy:

X-Ray diffraction: