Luc Tuymans

Tuymans painted The Worshipper in 1994 for an exhibition in which the subjects were derived from the annual carnival in the Walloon town of Binche, a world-renowned tradition dating back to the 14th century. Tuymans based The Worshipper on a polaroid that he made from a doll in carnival costume at the Musée international du Carnaval et du Masque in Binche. This doll reminded him of something that embodies 'the idea of ​​a strange fanaticism'. Isolated by the bright flash of light from Tuymans' camera, the figure appears as an archaic priest who makes an unclear, adjuring gesture with his outstretched hand. In 2005, together with master printer Roger Vandaele, Tuymans made this large screen print after the painting.