James Ensor (1860–1914), the Belgian painter, in his 23rd year, began to represent subjects wearing masks, and he continued to do so until the end of his life. Beyond the primarily formal use to which Ensor originally put the mask, it soon also became a means of representing his perception of the true selves of people. Thus, for Ensor, the visible face itself was a mask, a persona, concealing a subject's true self. In a brief discussion, the mask is situated in a broader, historical and psychosocial context, and Ensor's use of the mask is related to his early life and later experiences.