Doodshoofden en Willy Finch in de duinen 1888

James Ensor sketched "Skulls and Willy Finch in the Dunes" with pencil on paper. The prominent skulls carry a deep symbolic weight, serving as a stark memento mori, a reminder of our mortality. Skulls have appeared throughout art history, dating back to antiquity, often used to provoke contemplation on the fleeting nature of life. Consider the Danse Macabre, a medieval allegorical motif featuring the personification of death leading people from all walks of life in a dance towards the grave. This motif underscores the universality of death, and the futility of earthly pursuits, reflecting our collective subconscious anxieties about mortality. Here, Ensor juxtaposes these potent symbols of death with the figure of Willy Finch, a fellow artist, amidst the natural setting of the dunes. This juxtaposition may serve as a meditation on the relationship between life, art, and mortality, provoking a deep, subconscious engagement with the viewer.