Artwork
The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy
The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy is a print by James Ensor. It dates from 1904 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1904, *The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy* is a print by Belgian artist James Ensor. Part of a series on the traditional vices, the work reflects Ensor’s lifelong preoccupation with grotesque crowds and moral corruption. Executed while he lived in Ostend and affiliated with the avant‑garde group Les XX, the image combines expressionist intensity with surreal, nightmarish motifs.
Subject & Meaning
The central motif is a skeletal figure whose twisted posture and piercing stare embody the emotion of envy. Around it, a tangled mass of masked individuals fills the composition, suggesting hidden identities and the pervasive, jealous undercurrents that can infiltrate society. A woman cradling a child at the centre offers a fleeting counterpoint of vulnerability amid the surrounding hostility.
Technique & Style
The exaggerated, contorted features and the use of masks echo his broader interest in the grotesque and the psychological masks people wear.
Ensor employs sharply defined lines and deep chiaroscuro to generate a claustrophobic atmosphere. The print’s dense arrangement of overlapping masks and tangled branches creates a sense of visual overload, while the stark contrasts emphasize the unsettling mood. The exaggerated, contorted features and the use of masks echo his broader interest in the grotesque and the psychological masks people wear.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the early phase of Ensor’s career when he was actively exhibiting with Les XX, a Brussels‑based collective that promoted progressive art. Although originally produced as a print, it has been reproduced in several catalogues of his work on the seven deadly sins. Its provenance traces back to private collections in Belgium before entering public holdings in the mid‑20th century.
Artist & collection
Artist
James Sidney Edouard, Baron Ensor (13 April 1860 – 19 November 1949) was a Belgian painter and printmaker, an important influence on expressionism and surrealism who lived in Ostend for most of his life.
