James Ensor by Luc Tuymans, Royal Academy ★★★★★

While you might not know the Belgian painter James Ensor, you'll probably be familiar with his countryman Luc Tuymans: the controversial artist that was found guilty of plagiarism in 2015 and who's also curating Ensor's Royal Academy 2016 exhibition.

James Ensor is an equally scandalous character that finally gets the attention he deserves in the Sackler Galleries.

While Tuymans is one of the biggest names in contemporary painting, Ensor made his reputation in the Expressionist movement. With a family that specialised in souvenirs and curiosities in local carnivals, the James Ensor signature style was dominated by colourful masks, puppets and skeletons.

For a long time Ensor struggled to be accepted by the establishment, especially as his work turned to tormented religious works such as Entry of Christ into Brussels. This monumental painting pictured Belgian politicians and Ensor's family as a hoard of masked figures mocking the vulnerable Christ on a donkey.

As Ensor's style softened later in the 19th century, the art world began to take notice and this exhibition is a perfect opportunity to discover why.