“Skeletons Fighting over a Hanged Man” is an esteemed oil on canvas painting by the artist James Ensor, created in 1891. This symbolic painting, characteristic of the Expressionism movement, is housed in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium.
The artwork presents a macabre scene, showing two skeletons engaged in a combative interaction over the lifeless body of a hanged man, with the word “Civet” scripted on a sign hung around his neck. The skeletal figures, adorned in whimsical yet eerie garments, draw the viewer’s attention to the absurdity and the grotesque in the scene. Surrounding the central figures, various peculiar and disturbing faces peer out, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. The painting evokes a sense of chaotic energy and dark humor, utilizing bold, expressive strokes and a muted yet diverse color palette to highlight the bizarre nature of the depicted spectacle.
