De gierigheid 1904

James Ensor made this etching, likely on a zinc plate, called ‘Avarice’ in 1904. It’s an explosion of greed and violence, all rendered in this scratchy, frantic line. The color's almost like an afterthought, just lightly dabbed on, which adds to the feeling of unease. What strikes me is the incredible texture he coaxes out of this medium. Look at the cross-hatching in the figures, or the blood, or the coins on the table. It’s like he's not just describing these forms but also their moral decay. See the figure on the left, some kind of monster with bloody claws reaching for the coins, the colours merge together and make you feel the sickness of the scene. Ensor's not trying to give us easy answers, and it's this embrace of complexity that makes his work so enduring. He reminds me a bit of Goya, another master of the macabre, but with a touch more absurdity. Art isn't always about beauty; sometimes, it's about holding a mirror up to the ugliness within us.