James Ensor. The Deadly Sins (Les Péchés capitaux). 1888–1904, published 1904

James Ensor The Deadly Sins (Les Péchés capitaux) 1888–1904, published 1904

  • Not on view

In this satirical series, Ensor updated a traditional theme of Christian morality. In the first sheet, Death, in the form of a winged skeleton, embraces seven figures that personify the seven deadly sins. In each of the subsequent sheets, the artist depicted his contemporaries engaged in each vice: gluttony, sloth, pride, anger, avarice, envy, and lust. A small skeleton or devil mocks the obscene, feckless behavior of the central characters. This set of prints is particularly rare; it is in pristine condition and its colors are fresh because it was preserved in the original collector's album.

Gallery label from New to the Print Collection: Matisse to Bourgeois, June 13, 2012–January 7, 2013.
Medium
Portfolio of eight etchings with colored pencil and watercolor additions
Dimensions
dimensions vary, see child records.
Publisher
James Ensor, Ostend, Belgium
Printer
possibly Jean-Baptiste Van Campenhout
Edition
unknown; approx. 50-100 (approx. 20 with hand coloring)
Credit
Riva Castleman Endowment Fund and The Print Associates Fund
Object number
1007.2011.1-8
Copyright
© 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SABAM, Brussels
Type
Portfolio
Department
Drawings and Prints
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