Elizabeth Fullerton reviews the recent exhibition Intrigue: James Ensor by Luc Tuymans at the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

Fullerton writes: “In his curation, Tuymans has played down the cliché of his countryman as a romantic outcast. The show’s sixty-six paintings, drawings, and prints primarily from Ensor’s productive early career include satirical images, landscapes, intimate portraits, and fantastical compositions, underscoring Ensor’s versatility. … With a light curatorial touch, Tuymans has emphasized the modernity of Ensor’s sardonic vision of a society governed by artifice and intrigue, a vision that feels very relevant today.”