De gulzigheid 1904

James Ensor made "De gulzigheid" - or "Gluttony" - in 1904, and it looks like he etched the image, then delicately colored it. I like to imagine Ensor working on this print. Look at that crazy table scene, so excessive that it's sinister and surreal. It kind of reminds me of some of Goya's darker works, but with a quirky, personal twist. I bet Ensor was thinking about the hypocrisy of bourgeois society. How they greedily consume everything, without a thought for the consequences. There's so much detail packed into the composition, from the grotesque figures around the table to the macabre details like the skeletal server. I'm especially drawn to that intense red stream going into the figures' mouths. It’s like a literal representation of consumption. Painters are always looking at each other's work. Ensor was probably looking at other satirical artists, maybe even some of the old masters, and then turning it all into something completely his own. That's what it's all about, really – taking what came before and making something new.