Skeletons Fighting Over a Pickled Herring 1891

James Ensor, active in Belgium during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, painted ‘Skeletons Fighting Over a Pickled Herring’ using oil on canvas. His grotesque imagery reflects the anxieties of a society grappling with modernity and the pervasive sense of alienation. Ensor often turned to satire to expose the absurdities he saw in bourgeois society. Here, the skeletal figures are a stark reminder of mortality, locked in a futile battle over something as trivial as a pickled herring. This simple object highlights the relentless pursuit of materialistic desires and the ephemeral nature of earthly pleasures. Ensor himself once said, "I like to paint skeletons because they mock profundity." This provocative statement underscores his intention to use macabre imagery not just to shock, but to strip away pretense and confront viewers with the absurdity of human existence. The painting serves as a powerful critique of the human condition, reminding us of the ultimate futility of our struggles. It confronts us with our own mortality, provoking us to question the values we hold dear.