Avarice (L'avarice) 1904

James Ensor made this etching called ‘Avarice’ using thin, scratchy lines that feel anxious and raw. It looks like he attacked the plate with a needle, almost like a nervous tic turned into art. The texture of the etching creates a kind of claustrophobia. Look at how the marks swarm around the figures; they trap and define them. The guy at the table, obsessed with his coins, is about to get a hammer to the head! It’s brutal, funny, and strangely moving all at once. I keep coming back to the figure on the left – he looks like a gnarled tree, his roots greedily reaching for the coins. Maybe Ensor’s saying we become monsters when we chase wealth? Ensor reminds me of Goya, another artist who wasn’t afraid to show the grotesque side of humanity. But whereas Goya is somber, Ensor has this dark humor, this theatrical flair that makes you want to laugh even when you know you shouldn't. Art isn't about answers; it's about asking the uncomfortable questions.