My dead Father 

James Ensor created "My dead Father" using graphite on paper, a medium that lends itself to both intimacy and immediacy. Ensor, who came from a family marked by depression and alcoholism, captured in this piece the stark reality of death. The drawing is not idealized; instead, it conveys a deep sense of personal loss and the starkness of mortality. Notice how Ensor uses dense, dark strokes to depict the void surrounding his father's head. This is a contrast to the lighter, more tentative lines that define the contours of his father's face and beard. Ensor's approach to portraiture reflects the broader cultural shift away from traditional, idealized representations toward more raw and subjective portrayals of human experience. In that sense, Ensor invites us to confront our own feelings about loss and the inevitable passage of time, making the piece a powerful meditation on the human condition.