Sloth (La Paresse), from the Deadly Sins (Les Péchés Capitaux) series
James Ensor
Belgian, 1860–1949

Details
Title
Sloth (La Paresse), from the Deadly Sins (Les Péchés Capitaux) series
Artist/Maker
James Ensor (Belgian, 1860–1949)
Date
1902
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
6 5/16" x 9 1/2"
Credit
Purchase with funds from the Lawrence and Alfred Fox Foundation for the Ralph K. Uhry Collection
Accession #
72.8 B
On View
Currently not on view
While the world outside is seen toiling at various tasks, two lazy sleepers, a man and a woman, remain unmoved, buried deep in their bed. A skeleton removing the hands of a clock wittily illustrates the sleepers’ disregard for the normal division between work and rest.