Museum Description: The theme that I have chosen is death. I chose it because it plays a big role in controlling my life, as it is always in the back of my mind. Death is one of those moments that produces an array of emotions such as despair, grief, and anger. Everyone also experiences and views death differently. Some people see death as the end, while others see it as a new beginning. In my museum, I will explore the different aspects of death, including the feelings that people experience, the stillness and peacefulness it sometimes produces, and the symbolism that goes with it.
Impact Statement: There is no life without death. It is something that scares many people, but it always comes. I want visitors to see the different depictions of death to help show that death should not be feared. Rather than letting it control them, I want them to live their lives to the fullest. I also hope that by seeing death, they would come to have a bigger appreciation for their own life.
Despair
Death can produce feelings of despair. Losing a loved one creates unimaginable pain and grief. This room explores the sadness, loss, and deep emotions associated with death.
- Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581
- Grief
- The Sick Child
- Entombment of Christ
Ilya Repin, Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581, 1883-1885
The pure feeling of terror and despair is present on the wide-eyed face of Ivan while losing his son.
(Content) The subject matter of this painting depicts the moment after which Ivan the Terrible has mortally struck his son on the head. He tightly clutches his dying son, full of grief and remorse, knowing that he has killed him. The terrible act from Ivan may serve as an allegory of the violence and instability of the Tsars of Russia. Furthermore, the light on their bodies helps to highlight the sad scene and the deep red blood on the son's face adds to the grim and horrific mood.
Anna Ancher, Grief, 1902
Two figures are shown in a graveyard, kneeling by a cross with solemn expressions, creating a sense of loss and despair.
(Form) There is a sense of balance in this piece, with the cross being symmetrical down the middle and the two women mirroring each other on both sides. The naked woman on the left contrasts with the dark clothes of the woman on the right, both which appear to be in grief. Additionally, their organic forms differ from the geometric lines of the cross. The vertical and horizontal lines made by the cross also help catch the viewer's attention, emphasizing the death and loss of the scene.
Edvard Munch, The Sick Child, 1885-1886
With dark colors and harsh lines, this piece emphasizes the desperation and sadness of a young girl on her deathbed.
(Context) This painting shows Munch's older sister Sophie, who would die from tuberculosis at 15. At her side, a woman who holds onto her hand is lost in despair and grief and can't even look up at her. This was a traumatic and important event for Munch, as he would make six different versions of this painting. This would also be around the time of Impressionism, which is reflected in the lack of details like in the hands and bed.
Caravaggio, Entombment of Christ, 1603
The deep expressions on the figures faces help to show their grief and the sad reality of Christ's death.
(Form) The use of chiaroscuro emphasizes the intense emotions and drama of the scene. Due to this black background, the figures are pushed forward, further increasing the drama. The foreshortening of the objects and figures helps show the Baroque style, which tries to bring them into the viewer's space. The figures also create an implied diagonal line, adding to the movement and instability while lowering Christ into the tomb.
Peacefulness
Death sometimes has a peaceful quality. With it comes a sense of stillness and tranquility. It's also always there, waiting quietly. Through these paintings an alternate side of death is shown: one not of loss, but of a calm and quiet.
- The First Pain
- The Garden of Death
- Ophelia
- Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle
Silvestro Lega, The First Pain, 1863
Through her expression and bright colors, this painting presents a more peaceful and relaxing view of death.
(Form) A young girl looks down at a dead bird in her hand, with a face full of contemplating sadness and quietness. The directional force from her downward gaze leads the viewer's attention to the bird. Additionally, it creates an implied vertical line, stopping the eyes of the viewer in the center of the piece and creating a sense of stillness. The implied texture from her clothes and the softness of the light and colors also adds to the peacefulness of the scene.
Hugo Simberg, The Garden of Death, 1896
Instead of a scary depiction of death, showing it tending to gardens creates a sense of peace and happiness.
(Content) In this painting, skeletons are shown caring for many plants. With their black clothes, the figures are similar to the reaper, showing how they are a personification of death. Despite this, putting them in a garden, which symbolizes life or birth, helps to show them in a gentle and kind way that contrasts with their darker nature. The overall message seems to be about how death and life work together in harmony and that death doesn't have to be something that is feared.
John Everett Millais, Ophelia, 1851-1852
Though this painting shows death, there is a sense of peacefulness, calm, and even beauty.
(Content) This artwork shows Ophelia singing before drowning in the river. The subject matter is based on William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, where she goes mad after Hamlet murders her father. Some of the flowers in the painting serve as symbols, such as the poppies which symbolize death and the violets around her neck which symbolize faithfulness. The bright, intense colors, as well as the scenery with the plants and flowers helps illustrate how there is beauty in death.
Arnold Böcklin, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle, 1872
Death is shown quietly waiting and watching, adding a sense of stillness and calm. Through the act of making this piece, the artist is also shown to be at peace, acknowledging that eventually his time will come.
(Content) The subject matter is the artist himself painting while a skeleton behind him plays the fiddle. Death is personified as a skeleton and feels very close and intimate in the painting due to the black background, which pushes the figures forward. Though he is alive at the time of this painting, he knows that one day he will be gone and that this would be all that is left of him. Therefore, this piece is a symbol of death to come, rather than the actual moment when he dies. The medium of oil paint and the rag he carries to wipe away his brush may symbolize the way death can erase a person.
Horror
Death can cause terrible pain and agony. Wars and tragedies can lead to the death of thousands of people. This room focuses on the grotesque side of death, with all the destruction, anguish, and torment it brings to the people affected.
- Guernica
- The Triumph of Death
- Raft of the Medusa
- Saturn Devouring One of His Sons
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
This piece shows death and destruction, with the faces of figures screaming in pain and their bodies contorted in agony.
(Context) The subject of this painting was based on the bombing of Guernica, where the city was destroyed and a third of the population was killed. Picasso was horrified when he heard the news, especially because it happened in his homeland, prompting him to make this piece as a memorial and his response to the event. The colors being black and white reference the newspaper where he first read about the atrocity. The distorted forms of the figures help add to the suffering and horror of the scene. The art period at this time was Cubism, which may also be why the figures and animals are abstracted instead of realistic.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Triumph of Death, 1562-1563
This piece shows the deaths of many people, as skeletons lay waste to the land and evoke fear and terror into those that fight back.
(Form) The warm colors like orange and red help to highlight the destruction and suffering. The sheer amount of death and chaos in the foreground contrasts with the barren and scorched land in the background. This piece also uses linear perspective, emphasizing the vastness of death and how there is no escape. The vertical placement of the people at the bottom makes them more noticeable and close, bringing the horror of the massacre into the viewer's space.
Théodore Géricault, Raft of the Medusa, 1818-1819
This piece illustrates the death and suffering of those on the raft and the horrors that they experienced.
(Context) The subject of this art piece was based on the story of the ship Medusa, where after the ship got damaged, high-level officials cut the rope, abandoning 150 passengers on a small raft alone at sea. This piece shows its Romantic influence, focusing on the powerful human emotions and agony of this moment. Géricault visited morgues, helping to accurately capture the color and texture of their bodies. Additionally, he also interviewed two of the survivors, examined ships in the water, and had a miniature copy of the raft, which all helped add to the realism and horror of the moment.
Francisco Goya, Saturn Devouring One of His Sons, 1819-1823
This painting shows the appalling side of death, with the desperation shown on the face of Saturn as he does this terrible deed.
(Context) This piece was part of Goya's Black Paintings, where he would paint directly on the walls of his house. These paintings were darker in theme, explaining the gruesome subject of Saturn eating one of his sons. They also reflected his mental state, with his illness causing him to go deaf and reflecting the disorder of the Spanish government. This was also the period of Romanticism, possibly influencing the dramatic and intense emotions of this scene.
Hopefully from this visit you have gained a better understanding of death and a greater value for life. As you have traveled through the different depictions and emotions associated with death, think about which ones resonate the most with you. Though death may bring about great despair and terror, it may also bring peace as well. Knowing this, it is important to not let death be a barrier or something to be feared, but as simply a part of life.