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In addition to being an internationally renowned poet, Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916) was also a respected art critic with a special interest in the modernist movements of his time. He regularly published contributions on the exhibitions of Les XX in Brussels, for example in the avant-garde magazine L'Art moderne. As a member of Les XX, James Ensor regularly came into contact with other painters, but also with art critics who stood up for him. This is how Verhaeren became friends with Ensor.
From the very beginning, the poet was convinced that the Ostend artist was exceptionally talented. The portrait that Ensor painted of Emile Verhaeren in 1891 sealed their friendship, as it were. Incidentally, the portrait was painted at the painter's home in Ostend. Verhaeren continued to follow Ensor's work until his untimely death in 1916. In 1908, he published his study on Ensor, the first full-fledged monograph, with the Van Oest publishing house in Brussels.