Avarice 1904

This is 'Avarice' by James Ensor. It’s a riot of colour and grotesque characters scratched onto the surface. Can you imagine Ensor hunched over this plate, working into the metal, building up the image line by line? I sympathize with Ensor, because there’s a raw, desperate quality in his work, like he’s wrestling with something dark inside. These aren’t pretty pictures, but they have a strange kind of beauty. They remind me of the work of other artists who aren’t afraid to confront the ugly side of life, like Goya or Otto Dix. Look at that figure with the hammer raised above his head! The jagged lines and lurid colours communicate pure rage. And the avaricious figure bleeding over his coins. There's a feverish energy to the work which is so compelling. It's a reminder that art can be a powerful tool for exploring our deepest fears and desires. Artists, like Ensor, invite us to engage with the ambiguities and uncertainties of life, resisting easy answers. It’s through this kind of messy, imperfect, human expression that we come to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.