Art Story

In 1904, James Ensor published the album "Les sept péchés capitaux" with a foreword by his friend and biographer Eugène Demolder (1862-1919). The first etching, "Lust," was already published in 1888. It was not until later, between 1902 and 1904, that the six remaining deadly sins and the frontispiece were added.
The series consists of a total of eight etchings: seven individual deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth) and a frontispiece. In every work, there is a skeleton (the devil) that condemns sinners and warns viewers of hell and death. In these etchings, Ensor combines traditional religious iconography with his own expressive, humorous and grotesque style.